hearthwarming | inbox 🌙 songerein

[ A few days after the whole fiasco at the flower shop, Ori will get a brief message in her journal: ]

Hey there! Are you available for dinner tonight? I finally found all the ingredients I needed!

[ Happy holidays, Ori! On Christmas morning, Ori will find a tremendous burlap sack waiting for her on the doorstep to her treehouse. It is tied closed with a linen ribbon and a sprig of holly. A letter sits nestled in the holly branches. (Or, if Ori's home requires a ladder to reach the door, she will find the bag at the foot of the ladder and the letter slipped under her front door.)

Written in Zelda's picturesque cursive handwriting, the letter reads as follows: ]

Dearest Oriphi,

Warm tidings to you during this holy season.

It is customary in my kingdom to present gifts to one's friends and family in honor of our patron goddess. As She blessed us with gifts of light and love, even in the darkest days, so too do we share our blessings with our loved ones.

As we celebrate this season away from our families and homelands, that is all the more reason to treasure the friendships we forge in Songerein. I hope you will accept this gift.

May the Goddess smile upon you,
Zelda

[ There is no label on the sack, but the smell will give away its contents immediately: it's full of fertilizer. When Ori unties the ribbon, she will find a pair of steel garden tools attached: a hand rake and spade commissioned from Alphen and Somnus's smithy. Zelda managed to tie the tools in such a way that they are hidden behind the girth of the sack. ]

[ The ending of that dreamscape was quite the departure from how it began. Ori knew that the story they were made to reenact had a tragic end, but she didn't anticipate the Noctaere attack and everything else that followed it. By that point, she had lost track of Thoma and Diluc and had to focus on fighting off Erasers and the like, so all she can think of when she wakes up is that please, spirits, I hope they're okay.

Everything having taken place in a dream isn't much of a comfort, too, knowing how tangible dreams can feel in this realm of dreams.

She is already preparing a meal with the intent of inviting Thoma and Diluc over when, luckily, her loves exchange messages with the question of whether they should all meet to talk. So Ori, believing this to be a conversation to make sure that everyone is alright after all that took place, offers her home as their meeting spot. It only makes sense, given that she's basically finished preparing this meal for them anyway.

It's not until she then begins to dress herself for a cozy evening of comfort to be spent with her partners that she truly remembers everything that took place in the dreamscape. She's told them both about how much she loves them. And she let Thoma mark her— though to her disappointment, the mark has since faded along with the dreamscape. But there's no time to truly process it all before she hears them knocking at her door, and she scrambles over to admit them into her home. This will be fine, right? It was just... a bit of a steamy time, nothing more.

Taking a deep breath, she opens the door for them with a smile. ]

Hello...!

[Among Beatrix's first plans of actions upon waking has been paying visit to Oriphi's place of residence, which has required some questioning, some patrolling about the town, and careful observation in an attempt to arrive and drop off a carefully wrapped parcel.

Inside, there are sakura shaped sugar cookies, flower themed butter cookies, a lavender rose flower crown, and a missive, written in legible cursive.]

Oriphi,

I failed to present these to you in a timely manner.

May you still enjoy them.

—G. B.

[ Well, now that Thoma has woken up after his month-long nap and been appraised of everything he missed, there’s nothing for it but to go back to business as usual and wait for he and Diluc’s wayward paramour to make her return.

The house suffered a bit from a lack of Thoma’s trademark love and care while he was unconscious, but that suits him fine. It gives him something to do while Diluc is away, tending to matters at the winery.

Currently, he can be found up on a ladder with his trusty duster, clearing away cobwebs from the rafters of the common room, humming a bit to himself as he does. As usual, little motes of light hover around the room, following him while he works. ]

My dear Oriphi! Are you a fan of limericks?

[In the days after Thoma has left them, part of Diluc's coping mechanism has been to double-down on distractions. For the most part, he's made peace with it; he sincerely believes that the separation is not forever, and that Thoma will be waiting for him and Ori both when the time for their dreaming in this land comes to an end. But it still helps to stay busy and not dwell on it, at least for now.

His schedule has, per usual, included honing his abilities using dreammotion energy.

The thing about dreammotion is that it's volatile and responsive to emotions. Maybe it's that he misses Thoma and associates his absent love with animals, or maybe it's just coincidence. Regardless, a backfired attempt to harness dreammotion finds Diluc suddenly in the form of a fluffy red cat.

He looks over to where Ori is sitting nearby, blinks a few times in confusion, and meows his displeasure at this unexpected state of affairs.]

[Ori can probably guess what this is about before she even reads the full message, and maybe she's already heard about it from Eustace after she had pushed him to meet with her the day following his nightmare, but Tifa felt it was only right to pass on the message herself, and to ask her a few things as well... At any rate, Tifa figures that maybe she has figured it out on her own...

She should have done it sooner, but could never quite work up the courage to spill it all until now. So, at the beginning of the month, only a week and then some after the nightmare, Ori will receive a message in her journal with Tifa's name written in her neat penmanship.]

So, not sure if you heard the news... but when you've got some time, there's something I wanted to talk to you about.

[A knock to the door can be heard.

Aether is standing right at the door, home-made cookies in hand. Lately he's made it a habit to come visit Diluc and Ori every once in a while and bring them some sweets. He knows they'll be fine as long as they have each other, but perhaps some company wouldn't hurt.

They are both his friends, so obviously, he can't help but try to check on them.]

[ If she were honest, it’s not a moment of strength that brings her back to Oriphi’s home. It’s weakness. A horrible, sinking loneliness: Aerith does not do well with the best, so she rushes ahead, at any cost. Today, it’s probably unrecommended to be running around, picking fruit, dressing herself, or anything like that with such an injury, but she also isn’t too sure she’d forgive herself for letting Eustace think she’s bedridden over him.

It’s been mere days since, but she still knows the way, has it mapped out in her mind as clearly as the walk to her mother’s house in the slums from the abandoned church, and she takes to it easily. Last night, she’d laid alone and thought about all the ways that she wishes she could have fought differently, or all the things she wished she said instead. Today, she walks with her head held high in the sunlight, hair tied back with a strip of pink fabric from a tattered, bloodied dress. She knows four times, melodious, humming a tune like nothing’s occurred, and at her feet is a basket stuffed with apples.

…and in her hands? Well, it’s a drink carrier with drinks from Dreambucks. She wasn’t sure what to get, so a trio of milk teas will have to do. Just in case fruit isn’t Diluc’s thing, you know? If he’s home, at all. ]

Heya. Special delivery! Bet you haven’t had one of these in a few days, huh?

[ Oriphi will receive the following message in her journal, succinct and straight to the point: ]

Hail, Tiefling Oriphi.

I have seen you wield powerful magics. Do you practice the healing arts?

Somnus Lucis Caelum

[ Even after attending the Halloween carnival, Susato still isn't entirely sure that she completely understands the holiday. She has picked up on some things, however; namely, 1) it takes place today, on this last day of October; 2) she is to hand out treats; 3) her dress, while appropriate, was somewhat generic? ...and 4) between turning into a stuffed toy and facing the red-clad figure in the maze, it can be a dangerous holiday.

She doesn't really know what to expect tonight. But however Ori is preparing, here comes an innocent message from Susato. ]

Dear Ori, Happy Halloween! I don't know whether you have plans tonight, but if it is not terribly inconvenient for you, may we meet?

[ Susato has to mentally kick herself as to NOT add an apology that's not warranted. Instead, she just signs her name. ]

[ It's funny, how the scorching heat of summer felt not all that long ago. Yet the deepening winter carries a chill on the air, cold enough that the Ever-Blossoming Grove feels warm.

Foliage parts with a soft rustle, and Trahearne steps into the brush. The gold of the sunlight, bouncing off the dust of snow in a twinkle greets him; he looks up and smiles, content. ]

Hello, Ori.

[ He speaks quietly, to no one in particular. To the soul that once put this pocket of peace together, perhaps. But she is gone nearly a year now. She can't hear him.

Regardless, he almost thinks the way the branches of the trees bow in the wind is her way of saying hello back, that the timbre of the rustling leaves is her voice. He thinks of how she always brightened in greeting, and smiles. ]

It's been...a long time since I've been here, I admit. [ The sylvari sheepishly makes his way into the center of the soft grasses, his eyes trained on the pale sky above. He gives a quiet, self-deprecating chuckle. ] I have not forgotten you, of course. Things have...changed. I thought I might catch you up, if no one's done so yet.

[ He sits back on his hands. A serene look crosses his face as the breeze dances across the grove, and his eyes fall shut. Where does he start? His bitter one-year anniversary feels like a distant dream now. The emotional turmoil, the agony that snowballed in its advent resonates as nothing but a dull ache in his chest. ]

After you left, the winter felt much colder than any I'd felt before. [ He hasn't really had a chance to think on it retrospectively. He had been recovering, and then finding his footing again, and— ] I took it hard. I am...almost relieved you were not here to see me at my lowest. I did not know I could be in such a state. I was rude, callous, distant to our friends. They tried to help, but...

[ He pauses, gazing at the flora tha flourishes despite the season. It is peaceful, as always, and untouched. ]

Nightmare got to me. I turned. [ The wind dies down; it's almost as though he can feel her worry, her flat expression from beyond the veil of dreams. His eyes dart away, sheepish. ] I know. It seems I never learned my lesson after all, and I think that does you a disservice, Ori. You always tried your best to help everyone, including me. [ He chuckles softly. ] I will keep trying. I don't want to hurt any of our friends again.

[ There's a moment of contemplation as he closes his eyes, wondering what she might say in a pause like this. It's sad, he thinks, that as time passes, he recalls her voice with less and less clarity. ]

But with spring comes renewal and rebirth. [ He sits forward, as though reliving the renewed surge of energy he'd felt amongst the blossoms. ] Eustace and Tifa's corgis had puppies. They gave one to me, and I've been taking good care of him. Oh— [ A smile bursts across his face, the excitement still fresh in his chest. ] And if you'd believe it, I was voted flower king at the flower festival. I still don't quite believe it. I even went on a couple of dates during the festival—Beat insisted that I do, you know.

[ Mention of Beat causes him to pause, and a fond little smile crosses his face. ]

He's dating that girl, you know. I don't think I've met her, but perhaps you have? I would...tell you her name, but it escapes me. [ Ah. He reaches up to scratch the back of his head, embarrassed. That's a big oversight on his part. ] I will have to ask him next time, and let you know the next time I visit.

[ Back on topic— ]

The biggest news is that we drove back the Story Eater. Its influence is no longer felt here, and he has been sealed away. We all played a big part in the battle, and I did not flinch in the face of nightmare. [ He smiles, and closes his eyes. The breeze comes back, caressing the leaves in his hair and covering his body. ] I'd like to think you would be proud of me. Perhaps that's a bit of a selfish thought, but...

[ ...He doesn't really know what to say after that. Trahearne never really does things for other's approval—more often than not, he does things for himself, or for a greater purpose—but he likes to think that if Ori, should she have been here, were to see him fight, undaunted, she would be happy with the progress he's made.

Maybe it isn't so bad to have another's approval, after all.

He sighs. ]

...Speaking of, Phantom left. [ He pauses again, listening to the rustling of the leaves and taking in the glow of the setting sun. He is not here, of course, not in this grove. He always prefered to stick to the shadows. ] He was my best friend, you know. Like family, but not a brother. I am so, so proud of everything he did, and the person he became. I know you may not have been very close with him, but he was one of us. We—

[ He catches himself from saying dwindle, because there's been another development Ori needs to know about. ]

Oh, Aerith returned. [ There's a curious uncertainty in his voice. One that does not quite belie how he felt about her, but it certainly shows how undertain he was about this. ] She...did not remember any of us. But she's been receptive to the rekindling of our friendship, and she's just as I remember her.

[ ... ]

I don't know if I ever told you this, Ori. [ He glances around, suddenly nervous about the appearance of anyone else. For a brief moment, he purses his lips in hesitation, then continues— ] But I quite fancied her the last time she was here. I was thinking of seriously courting her but she...left before I could ask.

I'm not this time, though. [ He quickly sits up in his place, voice louder and faster as though erasing the thought. ] To be honest, it's because I'm... [ A pause, a chuckle. A pang of embarrassment resonates with the grasses around him. He hasn't really open about this with anyone else—his dear sister deserves to hear it first. ] I'm dating Zhongli.

[ He lets the embarrassment slip past him, and what's left in its wake is the seed of joy. The sunlight dances with his heart, and he feels as though he sways in the wind with the boughs, too. ] I don't know if you ever met him, but I think he's good friends with Venti. You knew him, didn't you?

[ He pauses, waiting for her to answer. She does not, of course. ]

Zhongli is endlessly kind, and has lived a rich life, full of interesting experiences. He opens me up in ways no one else has ever quite managed. All I want to do around him is talk with him, though I'm typically content to sit in silence. Isn't that strange? [ He smiles, the faint gold dusting prominent on his cheeks now. ] And he's...very handsome, Ori.

[ Once again, he falls silent, having run out of things to say. His eyes drop to the grasses beneath him, and he idly threads his fingers through them. What sort of gesture it's supposed to mean, he isn't sure. Maybe it's a hug, or a pat on the shoulder, or an attempt to reach across worlds for a familiar touch. ]

You will have to meet him, should you ever find your way back here. I think you would like him.

[ He tries to picture them talking together. Zhongli's image is strong, bright in his mind, but Ori's fades like the day does now. Maybe, one day, this image will be of one person only. Maybe she will never come back, and her memory, her presence will become nothing more than the first rays of light in his life in Songerein. A sign of warmth, of hope to come.

But a small, stubborn part of him likes to think he will see her again.

A moment of silence.

With a little smile, Trahearne stands.

He makes his way to one particular tree, and sets his hand on its trunk. It's wide—wide enough for someone to walk through. An amused little thought crosses his mind: did Ori ever teleport through this one?

The wind plays with the leaves in the boughs again, and the sylvari looks up. ]

I love you, Ori. And I miss you every day.

[ There really isn't another word for it. It's not the same sort of love he holds for Hector, or the type he held for Aerith, or the little bud of it he feels growing for Zhongli, but it is adoration all the same.

A smile tugs at his lips as he steps away. ]

I just wish I had said it to you more while you were here.

[ It's a little silly to wish for things in the past, he knows. But he hopes the sentiment reaches her all the same. ]

I'll be back. [ He says, tone lighter, voice louder, as though to remind himself as well. ] A bit sooner this time, I assure you.

[ He's not going anywhere, if he can help it.

And so with as much ceremony as his arrival, Trahearne picks his way through the grasses and foliage, exiting the grove, and sets off on the long trek back to Reverein. ]

sender: Thoma

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just a cozy lil dinner thread

🌸 flower festival overflow (april 2022)

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Early June, whenever Ori gets back!