RP:Assuming Gifts
Summary: Brennia arrives on Alvina's front porch with a mysterious and luxurious gift from an unsuspecting source and Alvina means to return it.
Rental Bungalow
Brennia is absolutely on cloud nine today. She had a wonderful weekend with Zahrani at the Cloud & Paw here in Schezerade and it was just what she needed after such a confusing time after Uriphiel stopped communication and Niall has come back into her life even if not in the same capacity as years before. Bre was excited to see that a rather lovely basket has been left in her classroom, but upon further inspection, it is not even addressed to her! “What is the meaning of this?” She gets a troubled look shaping her expression before she fixes it to be pleasant again while picking the rather hefty basket. It is abundant with wonderfully fragrant soaps, lavish chocolates, rare flowers and a pair of simple emerald earrings the same color as Alvinas eyes, but the gems within are near perfect as if from a dragon's hoard. Brennia only sees the name on the envelope to a letter on top in fancy script ‘Alvina’ and assumes it’s from Hudson in an attempt to extend an olive branch. She knew he’d come around because how could he let a beautiful and strong woman like Alvina slip from his fingers like this!? Gladly, she makes her way out of the college to the front gardens where Alvina’s bungalow is. Bre hangs back to see if she can hear the kids outside, but nowhere to be seen or heard which might be a good thing because she doesn’t want their hopes up in case the gift is unwelcome. The tall woman wears a simple yellow maxi dress that only makes her look even taller and thinner, but it is comfortable and cute. The kids must be at their music lessons at the school or studying at the university because she still cannot hear them. Maybe they are even away on a visit with grandma Landon. So, the avian rings the doorbell and waits for her friend to answer the door with excitement and whatever she comes to the door, Bre holds it up, “look what showed up in my classroom for you. Please tell me you’ll share one of those chocolates with me,” there is an impish little grin on her lips.
Alvina is home alone. Her little brood of children are visiting with Hudson's mother (their grandmother) so she looks every bit surprised when she answers the door to not only see her lovely friend all bright and glowing but with an extravagent basket, no less! The bard pulls the door open, smile on her face. She's wearing a casual ensemble; a yellow peplum cami top made 'motherly' with a cut of black high waisted shorts. "Gods, Brennia. You startled me." Alvina rests her hand against her neck in a show of surprise. "Come in, come in -" She opens the door wider and steps back to allow the avian entry. How cute, they are both wearing yellow! The living room is sunlit but sparsely occupied. The normal clutter and chaos of a four child household doesn't exist in this space. It's potted plants and sky lights. Expensive couches and posh table decorations. It looks more like a play set than a living, working space in a home. "And what's all this?" Alvina's brain corrects this basket to be a gift from Brennia to celebrate a substantial milestone in their new business - Over ten thousand products sold! A minor ramp up now that they were off the ground but it's always slow going at first.
And her smile. Brennia looked so thrilled, it had to be good news. Alvina blinks, the surprise continues as Brennia fills her in before stepping inside. This extravagent madness was for Alvina...dropped off at Bre's class? "Of course, obviously." She waves the question of sharing the chocolates away as if it ever needed to be asked! "Set that thing down and let me get you a drink." Alvina looks it over cautiously, her heart jumping into her throat. Of course her first instinct is Hudson. He used to send her stupid amounts of gifts, especially flowers. It warms her heart to remember in the vacuum of her heart. Once, the whole living room was...but that can't be possible. Or...could it? Who else would be sending her anything? And of the people who might, who would be sending them to -Bre- directly?
Brennia let’s out a raspy little giggle at accidentally startling her friend and her wings fold in tight against her frame as she comes through the doorway, “a million apologies dear Vina. I did not mean to,” the smile on Brennia’s face cannot be stopped. The avian looks well rested today, even with the makeup aiding in covering up her bags over the last year, nothing wears better than a full night’s rest. Unfortunately, she only gets those when sleeping next to Zahrani, but it is well worth the wait. She glances around until she finds the nearest flat surface to finally relieve herself of the weight because she may be looking healthier these days, but it is still a process and she isn’t strong enough to hold up all this after lugging it from the castle! The basket itself is finely woven wicker in a nice ebony finish which accents lovely agains the pastel colors of the bouquet of flowers within. She checks Alvina out with a mischievous little grin on her face, “you look ravishing! Is it the new vitamin E serum?” Then she points out the color of their attire, “look at our great minds twinning.” With a shrug of her slender bony and tattooed shoulders, Brennia plucks the card addressed to Alvina, “I don’t know. You tell me,” the tattooed hand then holds out the card awaiting her to open it so the mystery can finally be solved and Brennia can be right! In her mind, it could only have come from Hudson because the items are so thoughtful, rare and expensive looking. Just like Alvina. “Don’t bother with a drink, I’m too anxious to find out who it is from,” her long thin fingers are already peeling back the wrapping to some of the chocolates to sample one. When Alvina finally opens the letter she will find a fine calligraphy note, simple and sweet to state the following:
When you walk into a room, everyone sees you and wait on bated breath to hear you.
You’re a powerful woman who will be whoever she chooses and attain whatever she chooses whenever she chooses.
I am lucky to even know you.
Your friend, Xiem
Brennia is thoughtfully chewing a cheek full of a delectable salted caramel chocolate square, but the suspense is killing her. “Well?” She asks in a slightly muffled manner due to her sudden need for chocolate.
Surely this basket can't be the only reason Brennia looks so bright. Alvina gives her a knowing look and watches Brennia peel open a chocolate with ease. If only the bard could share her ease and excitement. Her heart is beating loudly in her ears, stomach twisted in butterflied knots with the card in her hands. Is she shaking a little? Ridiculous of her. Hudson's sent her thousands of gifts over the past 7 years. Her breathing is shallow, choking on tension in her limbs while she peels open the wax seal. What did this mean? Was Hudson apologizing for their last run in? Was he hoping to visit the kids more? Visit her more? Would his sentiments of missing her, sentiments...of love even, be hastily scribbled with promises of a better future? When it feels like her chest will collapse with mixed feelings, she flips open the card to read, with shaking hands, just what her husband's sent her. Her posture changes, hands still shaking, when she reads who the extravagant gift had come from. Her face falls, a piece of her broken. "It's not from Hudson." She tries to hide the disappointment in her voice but Brennia knew her too well. She'd see that her friend's heart was shattered over the realization. Alvina looks back up at the basket, reviewing it's contents more critically.
This was all insanely expensive. Xiem was a contractor. What was he doing spending this kind of money on her? The delivery to the Bard's college makes sense now. She'd only given him Hudson's address, never her own. She'd also said Brennia recommended Alvina to Xiem's company. It made perfect sense now. All the pieces of the puzzle fit together neatly. Alvina opens the card again, re-reading the words with shining eyes. It's not from Hudson. It's from Xiem, a man she considered her friend if only because he'd tolerated her silly melancholy and went out of his way to include her in silly after work parties with his coworkers / employees. She reads it again before handing it to Brennia to read herself. Alvina picks up the earrings, seeing her own eyes reflected in the color. "I think I accidentally guilted him into doing this..." She says at length, looking up with a stricken expression that didn't suit her fair face. "What have I done..." Somehow, she didn't know how yet, but this was Hudson's fault. He'd made her feel so small that she spilled this truth to someone who'd never known him. Alvina's eyes sting, the emerald's in her hand blurring. This was all Hudson's fault.
Brennia probably won't be boasting that she had both a restful and 'unrestful' weekend with her love, Zahrani, because it seems rather distasteful given the current circumstance. Her solid teal gaze searches Alvina's expression while she reads and can see only that her dear friend looks so disappointed. Oh, how worrisome! The avian is careful to be sure her expression (and wings) remain neutral so they portray no sign of emotion good or bad. "Hm?" Is all she can muster in the confusion while she still has yet to swallow the clump of chocolate in her mouth and she is also highly disappointed that this gift is not from her estranged husband. Poor Brennia has always been their champion no matter the circumstance or horrid rumors. Sure, the items are expensive, but they are obviously hand picked and thoughtfully combined in a simple basket. The suspense is killing Brennia, but she doesn't want to pry when finally, the letter is offered and a tattooed hand reaches out to delicately accept it. Such surprise comes over the avian that she accidentally spits the morsel of chocolate out on the hard floor, "oh my! I don't know where my manners have gone." She carelessly lets the letter drift onto the floor while finding a rag to pick up her mess.
It is quite hard to think of anything to say at this moment. Was Xiem courting Alvina? It sure looks like it! Brennia wants to argue that this is highly inappropriate, but how does she word it without making it sound like she is being judgemental? Once the mess is cleaned up in a jiffy, she finds her way over to Alvina and curves her wing around her friend for comfort while looking down at the basket, looking just as angry. Although, Brennia is angry at Xiem, not Hudson. "How dare he do this? It is out of line and cruel to send a lovely gift like this while you're trying to sort things out for yourself. How thoughtless…" she sighs softly. "I am sorry I got your hopes up," she offers, truly feeling awful about the whole thing. "This is not your fault at all," she gently tries to take the earrings from the fellow bard's hands and place them back in the stupid basket. "It is Xiem who is in the wrong and far too out of line if you ask me… Trying to take advantage of a newly single mother. He should really be ashamed!" Brennia's hand gently rubs Alvina's back as she sees the tears welling up, "I think he needs to be reminded of his position and that your relationship with him is only that of a professional one." She lets out a frustrated scoff, "you want me to do it? I'll fly wherever and kick him right in the shin. I will," there is a seriousness to her tone. Do not mess with Brennia's friends!
Brennia's arms and wings are around Alvina before she has a chance to think. The rogue chocolate mess and subsequent clean up is missed in the fight to hold back her tears. When would Alvina Landon stop crying? Of course, she'd be so happy to learn Brennia's evening had been restful and then less so, because she deserved such fineries and affections. At first, Alvina thinks Brennia is also upset with Hudson as if reading Alvina's mind! Yes! How dare he! But the justification breaks, pierced with the truth that, no, actually it was Xiem who was at fault here. Not Alvina or Hudson. Being mad at Hudson for this thing he had no part in was easier than being hurt that he'd had no part in it. It was easier than being mad at Xiem too. Alvina didn't do 'mad' very well anyway. Alvina surrenders the earrings easily, letting Brennia fold her into herself to comfort her. There's no shame in crying in front of Brennia, so Alvina allows herself to, briefly. It's such a bitter feeling. Wanting Hudson to see her, but knowing they couldn't be together, but wishing he'd ask and still show he loved her. The money didn't feel like love, it felt like necessity. His visit hadn't felt like love either. The Cenril papers made this separation look so easy for him but when he'd been here...he looked so...sad.
It's a web Alvina can't untangle and she isn't even sure if she should try. They'd decided. It was done. Why, then, did she still wish he'd done this? It was stupid. All of it was so stupid she could cry. Oh, wait, that's right. She is crying. Brennia's anger spills out while she holds the crying Alvina and it makes her chuckle even though the avian sounds quite serious. "I know you would." Alvina sniffs, pulling away to fix her face and wipe away any residual tears. "I know if I confront him, he'll just say that wasn't his intention...so I don't really know what to do." Yelling at Xiem didn't feel possible unless Xiem said something directly implying he was interested. The card was signed 'friend', not something more questionable like 'with love' or 'yours truly'. How she wished Brennia could just kick him in the shin and teach him a lesson. And Xiem did know how heart broken Alvina was about her dissolved marriage. It had been all she'd talked about, basically, since she'd let the secret slip. "I think...he'll probably get nervous in a couple days if I don't say anything. Maybe he'll get the picture then. So I don't have to confront him...directly." She can already feel Brennia's scolding eyes on her. That wasn't very straight forward or powerful of Alvina to suggest. "Or I can go see him later and return it." That actually sounded better. If she keeps it, he might think she wanted it to happen and she can't risk another basket and another broken heart over it not being from Hudson. Then, Alvina smiles briefly. It's fragile and strained but she's trying. "Or you can go kick him in the shin too."
Brennia doesn’t say much of anything else while comforting Alvina because her friend must sort this out for herself without complication. The avian is even more thankful that her friend is staying with her all the way up in Schezerade instead of in Frostmaw where the dragon lives. Maybe she will find another project for the guy to work on because if he is busy with contracts then he doesn’t have enough time to hurt Alvina like this. Brennia nods along with the idea of just letting it all go forgotten without any real confrontation and there is no scolding look to be seen, “whatever you think is best.” There is some disappointment that she won’t be kicking any shins because she was already mentally picking out the proper shoes to do so. Even if she was much stronger, how could she really hurt a dragon anyway? “That is even better,” she can just imagine the look on the guy’s face when he realizes he can’t fool a smart woman like Alvina. “Get rid of those hideous earrings,” she lies. The gems are quite lovely, but she’s trying to solidify Alvina’s choice. “Gold and blues are your best colors anyway. You’d think an admirer would notice that,” there is a cheeky grin on her face as she’s trying to cheer Alvina up a little. The offer for violence is still quite the idea and she wiggles her eyebrows, “as if it was ever off the table dearest?!” With that she links her arm with Alvina's, “the day is still young. How about we go have a brunch at Vice & Virtue before a spa day at the Cloud & Paw,” the secondary encampment for the Isran Collective here in Schezerade runs a lovely bed and breakfast with a five star quality spa.