RP:To New Beginnings

Summary: After their last embarrassing interaction, it's finally time for Alvina to follow up on the progress with the house's construction. Xiem's at the building site and greets her warmly before giving her a quick tour of the place. After showing off his new tattoo, Xiem apologizes for the weirdness of the basket he'd sent and Alvina apologizes for having made such a scene about it. The strangeness can officially be laid to rest. The tour ends with the music room, where a piano is strangely waiting with a note from Brennia.

Landon Estate, Sage Forest

Alvina hadn't been avoid Xiem necessarily. She's been absent from the work site where her house is being completed and hasn't been back to his office since she'd stormed out over him sending the basket. In hindsight, she wonders if she should have stayed and been a better friend to him. But she'd seen him out and about, and with Lita. He looked like he was taking care of himself again and had a lady friend, so maybe she'd feel less guilty now. She's not even sure if she should feel guilty. The lines tend to blur between what she thinks might be right or wrong, in the capacity of being supportive. Was it better to leave and let him work through his temporary depression over his wife's death or should she have stayed? It's lingered in the back of her mind like an itch, cropping up when she least expects it. So today, she finally decides she's brave enough to stop by the site to see how things are going. In addition to check on Xiem if he's around, she's eager to see how much longer it'll be until the renovations are complete. The bard walks up the path in her work attire; white blouse, black pencil skirt and matching heels. Hair down but pulled back by opal hairpins at the temple to cascade down her back in ribbon curls. She has to stop and admire the transformation. She almost doesn't recognize the façade of the building. With cautious steps, she starts up the pathway that leads to the front door. Someone's already planted some shrubbery around the house's edge to hide the muddy lack of grass around the house's base.

Xiembantointh is hard at work as usual, but his shirt is left off because these summer months are killing him since he’s used to the cooler climates. A few changes since he last seen Alvina, not including the time he waved to her at the fair, his hair is short and silvery, there is a tattoo of a knights helmet with roses over the left pectoral and he no longer wears his wife’s wedding band on a necklace around his neck or his own around his finger. Seems he’s gotten some proper closure over the last few months, but Nildran is never forgotten. Azure eyes glance up from what he is doing as he sensed someone else walk into the busy work site and he has to do a double take because why would someone wear this to a construction job?! She must mean business! Nevertheless, his broad and friendly smile is easy to find as he sets what he was doing aside to approach the redhead, “Alvina! Welcome,” he pulls free the plain white tee shirt dangling from his back pocket and slips it on before offering a hug. Other workers greet the familiar woman with a wave and smile, “how are ya?” He seems to have no recollection of their last encounter, “we miss you around here, but look! He gestures to the nearly finished structure around them with another giddy smile because nothing makes him happier than a job well done… well, it’s one of the things that make him happy these days. “Would you like to see the rest, Alvina? Give me any updates you see fit,” with one step off to the side, he lets her decide which corridor to take from the rotunda.

Alvina blinks in surprise at such a warm, fluid welcome. He hugs her as if they are old friends and draws her into the house with talk of business and brief pleasantries. We miss you around here? "Fine?" She asks as a response to 'how are ya'. It's like she'd never stormed out of his house and like he'd never sent her a lavish basket she'd mistaken as a gift from her husband. It's a little disarming. "S-sure, yeah, show me around." She clears her throat, stepping up to the rotunda to inspect the corridors. "I guess, can we see the backyard?" That would take them past a couple guest rooms and the kitchen, if she remembered correctly. She hadn't looked at the blueprint in a while and felt a little lost in her own home. She'd completely forgotten to ask him. "Are you, doing good?" She's a little stiff beside him but she carries it well enough. Years of practice. He seemed perfectly happy and upbeat, per mostly usual. Maybe he didn't remember or maybe it was just water under the bridge. Was he hiding her embarrassing storming out as a kindness or was he embarrassed about what he'd done? Alvina waves a hand in the air, unprompted, to wave the thoughts away. No need to overthink things. "It feels much larger off the page."

Xiembantointh easily navigates their path through her new home with a big grin remaining on his face, "backyard it is." She will see the kitchen is done completely to her exact specifications and the large doors open up to a covered back deck. The in ground pool is finished and just needs to be filled. There are beautiful lush gardens to explore on either side of the back patio area and he ventures into one of them while answering her question, "I am doing quite well, thank you for asking." They are getting further and further away from any eavesdroppers and he comments on her observation, "it really does, doesn't it? I get that feeling every time I finish a project," a hearty chuckle comes from him as his steps start to slow until they come to a stop in the middle of one of her gardens. "Alvina, I have to apologize for the state I was in when you came to return the basket. Every year around that time is when Nildran left this mortal plan for good and I just fall to pieces whenever it comes around, but most of all I should apologize for sending any kind of gift. I sometimes forget how buying a friend a gift might be perceived and I am sorry if it may have seemed like that gesture might have come from a place that isn't purely platonic. I wanted to put a smile on my friend's face and make her feel even a sliver of the light she shines one other people, but I did the opposite." With a sigh and genuine expression on his face, he states, "I am sorry, Alvina. I was completely out of line and it was entirely unprofessional of me." Hopefully she understands or at least accepts the apology.

Alvina takes her time studying the details of the rooms they do walk through. She tucks the odd incident into the back of her mind and she's quite content to leave it there for further pondering when she's alone. Maybe she'd misunderstood something, there had to be a missing piece? One sideways glance, his tone, his gait. Everything about his demeanor tells her that he's perfectly fine. Maybe more happy, if anything. "I appreciate all your hard work and attention to detail." Her fingertips trail the marble top of the kitchen island as they pass it. They stop and she turns in a small circle to admire the garden, poised to compliment him on the job when he starts to apologize. Her eyes go wide. So he hadn't forgotten. That's...embarrassing. She's having trouble maintaining eye contact but feels herself shrink internally at his apology. Should she also be apologizing? "No, I-" she starts in a whisper that's lost to his words. Xiem obviously felt strongly about this topic. She'd never seen him so confident. When he finishes, she blinks away tears. "I'm still just destroyed over my husband so maybe I reacted too harshly. I could have been more kind, I should have stayed to help." She'd confessed to feeling like a ghost to Hudson, the one person she wanted to see her. When she had a friend, right in front of her, who'd gone out of their way to try and do just that. As just as friend. "I'm sorry if I overreacted. It was a nice idea, I think I just got confused about it." She waves her hand to dispel the memory. "Since the house is almost done," she swallows nervously, "What do you say we try again at being friends once I'm not your customer anymore?" His intentions sounded pure in hindsight, even though Bre'd agreed the basket was outlandish and inappropriate. She dabs at her eyes, trying to preserve her makeup. "Just friends. Though I saw you with a lovely lady on your arm at the bazaar..." She lifts her brows with a sly smile.

Xiembantointh shrugs when there is a suggestion she acted too harshly and his hands slip into the pockets of his denim slacks, “I don’t think so. Your feelings are valid,” he simply says in response to her trying to back track and say she was acting too harshly. “I’m not even going to pretend I have any idea how to navigate what you’re going through,” then he makes a waving gesture at her regret that she didn't stay and try to help during his episode. "No, no. Trust me, there is nothing anyone can do for me when I get like that. I just need time, you did the right thing," he confirms, but then she is trying to apologize and he won't hear of it. "Alvina, stop," he faces her and slips his hands out of his pockets to gently rest on her shoulders, giving a light squeeze of reassurance. "You acted accordingly at the time to what you felt you needed to do and you cannot keep placing other people's feelings above your own. You stuck to your guns no matter what and I am proud of you," even if it meant putting some well deserved space between them in the growing friendship they had. Moving on, his grin is renewed when she wishes to put all that behind them and start fresh, "I think I would like that, Alvina."

His hands fall away from her shoulders and he takes a step back while providing a clean kerchief from his pants pocket for her to dab her eyes. The fishing for more information is a surprise and his cheeks turn a shade of pink at the mention of his Lita, "yes. That would be Lita, she works in Rynvale as a tattoo artist at a place called SoulsKin. She did a memorial tattoo for Nildran on my chest here," he lifts the hem of his shirt so the artwork can be properly seen on his left pectoral. The design is beautifully done with intricate knotwork on a knight's helmet and six little roses in shades of red, pink or white framing the bottom of it. "In exchange I renovated her back deck on my own," his tone softens when talking of Lita and there is a glow about him. "Unexpectedly, we got close and…" and what? Saying he has a 'girlfriend' now sounds so juvenile, but it is still too soon to assume 'we're in love'. So, he settles for finishing that sentence with, "and she makes me really happy in ways I didn't think could be possible after losing Nildran."

Alvina's fumbling over her words but really all she wants to do is put this behind them. She wants to pick the right word from the air and offer it to Xiem, pressing restart and calling peace to the arrangement. Little did she know there was already peace in the arrangement of their friendship. She'd always been this way; willing to put her feelings aside for the sake of peace or for the sake of being liked. It was worth it, in the end, right? A failed marriage really shatters your confidence and Hudson's absent gaze had a way of making her feel smaller than anything. But he'd looked at her, at Val's election. Briefly, without a stone wall to his expression. Wearing the watch she'd given him. That would just have to be enough to soothe her of those feelings. Just like Xiem's apology and validation of her feelings would patch up the illusionary cracks of their foundation. They'd spackle it, good as new, together. He was a builder, after all. She takes the kerchief and dabs daintily at her face, sparing her Vinabre makeup, and politely studying the tattoo on his chest. "They're both quite beautiful." She says eventually; meaning both Lita and the tattoo. "I do know her, we've meet on multiple occasions." Through her former husband sounded weird to say so she left that out. It was so old now, it hardly mattered. Alvina would like to start over again with Lita too, one day. She'd always liked her, thought her clever and poetic in a freer way. "I'm jealous." She said kindly, nudging him with her elbow. "I hope I can find that some day." But she was no where near ready to try. For all the bad between them, Alvina still found her heart respond to Hudson. A feeling that died, suffocated by her guilt and anger. And like a newly regrown limb, the muscles were atrophied and tender to the touch. "It puts things into perspective though, doesn't it? That it's possible to open up to someone that way, even after your heart was so full of love for someone. I'm proud of you."

Xiembantointh is turning a little more red as he agrees with Alvina, “yeah…” while letting his shirt drop back down. When she says she is jealous, he lofts a brow before she elaborates and shakes his head, “don’t be. If it is something* you want one day, it will happen in the most unexpected way and I surely hope it doesn’t take three hundred years,” he grins. He nods a couple times with a chuckle at the correctness in which she speaks, “it really does. Thanks,” he accepts her praise as it means a lot to him, surprisingly so. “Come on lady, let’s tour the rest of the house so you can start planning where your furniture is going to be placed. Do you have movers for that? We offer that service as well if you like,” they find their way back around to the front and follow the foyer to the rotunda so he can show her the laundry room along with the rest of the bedrooms, but best of all the music room that can easily be used as a ballroom.

Alvina swallows an argument that doesn't matter. She hates herself for thinking it would be easier if Hudson was dead, not that she wants that. But death has finality. As long as they were together, as much as what's happened between them, as much as she's hated him. A part still wants to be seen and loved by him. But she's the only one of them standing still...Hudson had already found someone. Feeling pathetic, Alvina welcomes the change in subject and follows him dutifully. "I have a designer that will be coming by to take measurements. I'll get with her to see if she needs movers to take care of it or if she has her own. I'm open to the idea." She stops in each room; stepping inside to take in the space and possibility. She imagines Harper's punk posters on this wall, Meadow's ball pit in that corner. The house is hollow but full of possibilities for the future. Much like her heart, she guesses. Currently undergoing renovations or so she hoped. "With the designer, she might have little tweaks to things like, building little platforms or a certain range of shelves in the closets. If that's not too much to deal with?" Alvina smiles apologetically as they step into the music. Already someone's put a piano with sheet music in the corner. To test the acoustics perhaps? The click of her heels in the otherwise empty room is pronounced, drifting off the walls to sound everywhere all at once. Her fingers trace the keys without pressing them. There's not a speck of sawdust to be found. "How, exactly, did this get here?"

Xiembantointh nods while saying, “of course. I brought some extra materials for that very thing.” He returns her smile with a confident and assured one, but when Alvina takes to the piano immediately, he almost forgot it was here and wonders who the heck took the cover off so it doesn’t get ruined as he shoots a look over his shoulder. “Right, this popped up a few days ago, I figured you knew,” is said simply while he picks up the envelope that was delivered with it and hands it to Alvina. The front is beautifully written in script which says, ‘To Alvina, From Brennia’ and is still sealed. It is just then, one of his workers politely interrupt with, “I’m sorry boss, but we need you real quick.” This gives Alvina the opportunity to open the letter in private and he looks back to her with a grin along with a wink, “I’ll back in a bit.” Upon opening the letter, there will be rare vibrantly colored pedals from Alithrya Royal Gardens that fall free from unfolding it and a heartfelt message:

Dearest Alvina,

I cannot believe your dream home is almost complete! I am over the moons excited for you, Lu, H, B-rice and adorable Meadow. I expected to give this house warming gift in person, but this will have to suffice… for now! I cannot wait to visit because if I know you’re exquisite taste, it will be such a classically beautiful and warm space for your family to flourish. With hopes that this gift will be host to many happy events, such as birthday parties, graduations, debutant balls, weddings, bon voyage gatherings and maybe even new product launch soirées, I also hope it brings your family happiness in this new chapter of your life. You deserve all of the happiness in the world.

Love you & Missing you, Bre

Alvina looks at Xiem with mild confusion when he mentions the cover. For a second, she's afraid it's a gift from HIM (paranoia is real) but the handwriting on the letter dispels that concern immediately. She holds it like glass. "Of course, take your time." When Xiem and his worker leave, Alvina eases herself down onto the piano bench to open the envelope. The petals fall into her lap like snowflakes. Her fingers trace the ink, it's vibrancy failing to capture the warmth Alvina imagines in Brennia's words. These cute nicknames for her children. It's easy to imagine all these things and more in the near empty music room. She reads it a second time to process the message. The first time had just been a rushed greed to consume the words for their individual existences. The folded letter is tucked back in the envelope carefully. She examines the petals; feels their softness, inhales their unique scent. Brennia's working so hard for them. Alvina couldn't let her down! Wiping away tears, Alvina takes care to put each petal back inside the envelope. Alvina's heart, hollow but full of possibilities, was filled with things from her friends. Like this piano in an empty room. Each person brought their own bit of love to fill her up. She steps out of the room into the hallway, clutching the letter. When she can find Xiem, she says "Thank you. I didn't know this was coming but I'm touched it's been moved inside, to the right room and all." His workers or even he himself had to be involved for that to happen. "Thank you."

Xiembantointh is found down the hall in her personal bathroom as he’s underneath the sink on his back with half of his body sticking out of the cabinet and his upper half within. Tools in hand, he’s tinkering with something down there as the other workers are helping with a firefly flash light and handing him tools. The pair of workers are bickering back and forth at who is at fault for this as Xiem simply chuckles, “no, it’s no big deal.” Then he hears Alvina and he bends a little to spot her, flashing a grin her way before going back to the issue at hand, “of course, Alvina.” The other workers smile up at her as well before Xiem is snapping his fingers and holding his palm open for a tool, which is promptly handed over. “Alright… Alvina, can you do the honors and turn on the tap?” Whenever she does, his body tenses and he flinches some while instructing, “okay! Turn it off!” He slips out from under the sink and is drenched. His silvery hair slicked back and most of his white tee shirt clings to his torso, but in spite of the little set back, he is still grinning and warm when anyone else might be throwing a cursing fit. “If thats everything, I’ll see you out,” he offers the bard while standing up and leading the way. Towards the foyer.

Alvina adds herself to the little group gathered to mark the occasion. "I'd love to." She chirps brightly. With blind confidence, she turns the handle a little farther than he'd meant for her too. "Oh gods, sorry sorry." She rushes to turn it back and hisses apologetically through her teeth when he appears, doused by the ceremonial 'first tap water'. And Alvina Landon laughs. She laughs so hard her eyes tear up in the corners. She laughs so hard she needs a minute before she can be led out and she can't see them but she's pretty sure Xiem's employees are questioning her sanity. She wouldn't expect anything less than Xiem's patient and optimistic smile to emerge from the faux disaster. In the foyer, she pauses to wipe at her eyes. It felt good to laugh like that, and now that they'd cleared up the misunderstandings between them, it felt safe too. For once, she'll be leaving their interaction without tear stained melancholy. "I might thank you a million times but really, thanks for everything." Alvina turns to face him and gives him a slight bend of her torso in an almost bow. Her heart feels lighter with their conflict resolved. She pantomimes holding a champagne flute and lifts it in the air before pretending to click Xiem's, even if he doesn't participate in her antics. With a warm smile, she toasts to the future. "To new beginnings."

Xiembantointh chuckles along with her and waits for the lady to gather herself before helping her find the entrance to her new home. “Now I know that all I need to do is to get waterboarded to cheer you up,” there is another chuckle to follow his jest and then he graciously follows along in Alvina’s antics, clanking their imaginary flutes together. “To new beginnings,” he agrees before pantomiming the act of chugging imaginary champagne and then slamming the delicate glass on the marble floor entrance way. Then he walks through the entrance to hold the door open for his client, “I’ll be seeing you, Alvina.”