[ Happy holidays, Hilda! On Christmas morning, Hilda will find a wooden box waiting on the doorstep to her treehouse. The box is made of pine and is tied neatly with a linen ribbon and sprig of holly. When Hilda opens the box, she will find a letter placed on top of a gift.
Written in Zelda's picturesque cursive handwriting, the letter reads as follows: ]
Dearest Hilda,
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
[ Inside the box is a pair of black, white, and gold hair ornaments in the shape of flowers. They were actually crafted by Oriphi earlier in the month while she was helping make gifts in the marketplace. Hilda might have even seen them before. ]
[ A day or two after the festive dreamscape subsides and things return more or less to normal in Reverein, Hilda might find a small basket outside her door one morning. Inside this basket is a small pouch filled with vanilla cookies, another small pouch of chamomile tea, and a jar of homemade apple jelly. Last but certainly not least is a garland of felted flowers that Hilda can totally use to decorate her treehouse if she so wishes.
There is also a note nestled in the items which says, carefully handwritten: ]
Dearest Hilda,
I so appreciate your friendship and wonderful company in the time that we have known each other. I hope you enjoy these small treats. I also could not help but make one more trinket, just for you.
Tied to Hilda's door handle with ribbon is a small box and a handwritten note:
Hilda,
I saw this ring when I was out in the markets and thought of you, so I hope it makes a good gift. If it doesn't, you can either tell me and embarrass us both and I'll get you something else, or we can forget about this entirely. :)
- Ferran
Inside is a rose-gold ring with impressions of petals and leaves, just like the delicate flower Hilda pretends to be.
[ As soon as Ori learns of Hilda's birthday and her wish to meet for tea, she scrambles to prepare something appropriately celebratory for her friend's special day. She asks Hilda to come to her treehouse in the afternoon and then spends the rest of the morning and early afternoon baking sweets and preparing. It seems that many of the folks she's come to care about in Reverein have their birthdays around this time of the year (and by many, she means two) and somewhere in her journal, Ori starts to keep track of these dates.
She wants to make sure that Hilda will have a good time this afternoon - after all, it hasn't escaped Ori's notice that they haven't spoken much in the last few weeks, and that Hilda's chosen to spend time with her instead of her friend from home on this day.
When the appointed time comes, Ori will be standing near her door, looking out the window for Hilda's arrival, and no sooner does she arrive at the tiefling's doorstep does Ori open the door with a bright greeting, ]
Happy birthday, Hilda!
[ as she steps aside to permit Hilda into her home immediately. The interior of Ori's treehouse is unquestionably cozy and characteristic of her, with plants and dried flowers and herbs everywhere. Then, beside the fireplace is a quilt laid out with pillows on top of it and a rustic teatime spread of pastries, fruits, and flowers. Although it continues to be frigid outside, Ori hopes that it will still feel like a nice garden picnic in her home, surrounded by plants and warmth as they are to be. ]
Please, come in. It's been so long since I last saw you.
Edited (i wanted to share that one pic ok) 2022-02-04 03:50 (UTC)
[Hilda has pretty compelling reasons to avoid some of her other close relationships in town--Asura because yikes that whole nightmare thing, and Balthus because... reasons...
But she's happy to spend time with Ori! It's nice to have a good girl friend in town to celebrate these kinds of occasions with. And getting to have a tea party like this is a nice reminder of home besides.]
Oh, you didn't have to go this far... thank you so much! It's perfect!
[Hilda pulls Ori into a tight hug before stepping fully inside.]
Sorry for the last minute-ness of it. I kind of forgot it was coming, since I had just had a birthday before I got here and time's all weird here anyway. It's only been six months since then, so guess I get to turn 19 twice? [Yay?]
[ Ori returns the hug warmly before she lets go of Hilda and steps aside to close the door behind them. Then, with a chuckle, she waves a hand dismissively at Hilda's apology. ]
There's no need to apologize! It can be hard to keep track of the days, here, especially when we've all been pulled in from other places and times.
[ She smiles warmly. Ori remembers when she turned 19 - it feels like a lifetime ago, and so much has happened since then, but she hopes that Hilda can at least enjoy this day and hopefully this last year of her teenaged days. ]
We can think of this as your half-birthday. Now, please, make yourself at home! Let me take your coat, and then you can sit down over there! There's plenty of sweets and tea.
[Sadly, the last year of Hilda's teenage years will bring with it the fracturing of the world as she understands it and the beginning of a five-year war. But those are challenges for waking-world Hilda--here, she's doing her best to help build this world up and enjoying the new friendships and relationships she's finding along the way.
Oooh, I like the half-birthday idea. We'll call it that.
[She gives Ori a playful wink and lets her take her coat before going to have a seat at where the tea has been set.]
How have you been? It feels like it's been forever since we've had a chance to catch up.
[ Hilda's coat is deposited onto a chair at Ori's table before the tiefling duly joins the birthday girl on the "picnic" blanket. She takes the liberty of serving tea, pouring it carefully into their respective cups.
When Hilda asks her question, the flowers in Ori's hair seem to brighten up just a bit, a bit of pink creeping into her cheeks— ]
Oh, I've been okay...! It has been a while, hasn't it?
[ — but only briefly, as what she says following that seem to temper her emotions. ]
The last few weeks have been... umm. A lot? It feels like so much happened. How are you holding up?
[Hilda acts dumb most of the time, but she's actually rather perceptive and insightful when she wants to be. The bloom of flowers and the flushed cheeks do not go unnoticed. Clearly, there's something to be investigated here.
And it sure beats talking about her own Guardian Moon January, filled with other people's nightmares and complicated feelings like it was.]
I'm doing okay. But you seem to be doing way better than okay. What's the blush for? Is it a guy? A girl? Or did you make friends with, like, all the owls before and now you're one of their group?
[Tell her EVERYTHING.]
Edited (I hecked up the html) 2022-02-06 20:43 (UTC)
[ There are a great many things that easily fluster Oriphi, who remains unused to people sincerely wanting to get to know her - and one of them is getting put on the spot. Even with her own adventuring party, anecdotes about her life often had to be dragged out of her, for her own fear of wasting others' time or burdening them with useless information.
So Hilda's very direct line of questioning has her brows creasing and her hands wringing the ends of her long hair immediately as she mutters, ]
Oh, um, well...
[ But at the end of the day, she's promised herself and those who are important to her that she would believe in herself a little more. Still, she hums thoughtfully as though to stall for some time, if nothing else because the answer to Hilda's questions, Ori has not yet had cause to explain to anyone. Hilda, at least, knows more than others about matters concerning Ori's heart. ]
Remember when I told you that I had to kiss two of my friends? Back when those gumdrop fae were around...? I'm... um... we...
[ Her voice fades into something barely above a whisper when she continues, ]
[Ori isn't he first person who has flustered under Hilda's directness, nor will she be the last. But Hilda knows who she is, and it wouldn't kill her friend to talk about herself some more. She's not as much of a shrinking violet as her dear Marianne back home--no one is--but she's shy and could use the boost of confidence.
Slowly, her eyes widen as Ori stumbles through her words, and at the end she practically shrieks with glee.]
Seriously, you managed to bag both of them? Good for you!
[Well, it sounds less like 'they are both dating Ori' and more 'all three of them are dating each other,' but honestly? Hilda likes it better the way she said it. Two lovers! How exciting for her!!
Which begs the question...]
You never told me their names. Soooo, who are the lucky people?
[He hadn't been able to approach her in the dreamscape itself when everything had come to a head, but he'd seen a whole lot of what had gone down— including her dramatic death scene, which she'd oddly seemed to be... enjoying, in her own way?
Even so, seems like a good idea to check in, especially because of what happened the last time something left her real shaken.
Not that they're talking about that, of course.
He frowns to himself as he pauses outside her treehouse door for a moment before knocking.]
[Hilda's been mostly keeping clear of Balthus in the aftermath of her spending the night in his house. No particular reason--she's just been really busy. And definitely not avoiding him or anything.
Which is why she is not at all flustered or surprised when he knocks on her door a few days after the whole 'Romeo and Juliet' thing.]
Baltie?
[She gets up from where she's been lounging and opens the door. A rush of conflicting emotions run through her in the first few moments of looking up at him, all of which she pointedly ignores.]
[Right. He definitely hasn't been avoiding her, either.
Except for the part where he absolutely has. For half a moment, he thinks about retreating before she can answer, but the door opens before he has the chance to second-guess himself, and he exhales slowly.]
H-hey.
[Not his smoothest greeting. Is his face a little red? Can't be, just a trick of the light.]
I just wanted to— check in with you. See how you were doing. The end of that dreamscape was...
[It hadn't been real, but it still hadn't been easy to watch. He hadn't stuck around for the whole thing, but he'd seen enough.]
... it was pretty rough for everyone involved, yeah?
[Hilda's not much more confident in the way she's carrying herself, a rarity for someone the likes of her. She steps aside to let Balthus in, clearing her throat awkwardly as she does so.]
Yeah, all of that was wild. I'm kind of hoping I can make it through March without dying in a dream, you know?
[She closes the door behind them with a weak shrug.]
At least this time, I was warned ahead of time and it didn't feel nearly as real. I mean, we kind of died for real in the dream, and it definitely hurt for real in the dream. But making a whole big dramatic production out of it and remembering that it was just a play made it a lot less traumatic than last time.
My Romeo was also a huge help. He was super sweet.
[He presses his lips together into a tight line as he steps inside, his gaze shifting to remain fixed on her as he passes.]
Can't say I'm a huge fan of that bein' a trend. Be nice to have a change of pace.
[It feels strange to say anything about it so casually— he knows how watching it had made him feel, but he hasn't experienced the same thing for himself. He imagines Hilda has to have some pretty complicated feelings about the whole thing, but of course, it's exactly like her to downplay it and try to shrug things off.]
You guys did really swing for the fences on that one, though.
[The dramatics had helped to make it all less real, at least in theory.]
[Balthus ought to know by now that Hilda is a master at dishonesty when it comes to things like feelings and vulnerability, superceded only by the likes of a certain half-Almyran archer. She's not lying when she says that making things big and dramatic takes the edge off, but there's still a part of her that's a bit freaked out by the fact that she keeps dying like this in dreams. Dying, after all, is something she fears more than anything else.
She's also playing it cool regarding her complicated feelings about the man who's come to check in on her. But that's another issue entirely.]
His name's Dohalim. He definitely is one of those sensitive types, you know? The kind who really cares about art and expression and all of that stuff. But without being all stuffy and weird. He's charming about it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Mail delivery
Written in Zelda's picturesque cursive handwriting, the letter reads as follows: ][ Inside the box is a pair of black, white, and gold hair ornaments in the shape of flowers. They were actually crafted by Oriphi earlier in the month while she was helping make gifts in the marketplace. Hilda might have even seen them before. ]
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There is also a note nestled in the items which says, carefully handwritten: ]
Dearest Hilda,
I so appreciate your friendship and wonderful company in the time that we have known each other. I hope you enjoy these small treats. I also could not help but make one more trinket, just for you.
Take care and stay warm!
Oriphi
late in the month
Hilda,
I saw this ring when I was out in the markets and thought of you, so I hope it makes a good gift. If it doesn't, you can either tell me and embarrass us both and I'll get you something else, or we can forget about this entirely. :)
- Ferran
Inside is a rose-gold ring with impressions of petals and leaves, just like the delicate flower Hilda pretends to be.
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She wants to make sure that Hilda will have a good time this afternoon - after all, it hasn't escaped Ori's notice that they haven't spoken much in the last few weeks, and that Hilda's chosen to spend time with her instead of her friend from home on this day.
When the appointed time comes, Ori will be standing near her door, looking out the window for Hilda's arrival, and no sooner does she arrive at the tiefling's doorstep does Ori open the door with a bright greeting, ]
Happy birthday, Hilda!
[ as she steps aside to permit Hilda into her home immediately. The interior of Ori's treehouse is unquestionably cozy and characteristic of her, with plants and dried flowers and herbs everywhere. Then, beside the fireplace is a quilt laid out with pillows on top of it and a rustic teatime spread of pastries, fruits, and flowers. Although it continues to be frigid outside, Ori hopes that it will still feel like a nice garden picnic in her home, surrounded by plants and warmth as they are to be. ]
Please, come in. It's been so long since I last saw you.
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But she's happy to spend time with Ori! It's nice to have a good girl friend in town to celebrate these kinds of occasions with. And getting to have a tea party like this is a nice reminder of home besides.]
Oh, you didn't have to go this far... thank you so much! It's perfect!
[Hilda pulls Ori into a tight hug before stepping fully inside.]
Sorry for the last minute-ness of it. I kind of forgot it was coming, since I had just had a birthday before I got here and time's all weird here anyway. It's only been six months since then, so guess I get to turn 19 twice? [Yay?]
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There's no need to apologize! It can be hard to keep track of the days, here, especially when we've all been pulled in from other places and times.
[ She smiles warmly. Ori remembers when she turned 19 - it feels like a lifetime ago, and so much has happened since then, but she hopes that Hilda can at least enjoy this day and hopefully this last year of her teenaged days. ]
We can think of this as your half-birthday. Now, please, make yourself at home! Let me take your coat, and then you can sit down over there! There's plenty of sweets and tea.
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Oooh, I like the half-birthday idea. We'll call it that.
[She gives Ori a playful wink and lets her take her coat before going to have a seat at where the tea has been set.]
How have you been? It feels like it's been forever since we've had a chance to catch up.
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When Hilda asks her question, the flowers in Ori's hair seem to brighten up just a bit, a bit of pink creeping into her cheeks— ]
Oh, I've been okay...! It has been a while, hasn't it?
[ — but only briefly, as what she says following that seem to temper her emotions. ]
The last few weeks have been... umm. A lot? It feels like so much happened. How are you holding up?
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And it sure beats talking about her own
Guardian MoonJanuary, filled with other people's nightmares and complicated feelings like it was.]I'm doing okay. But you seem to be doing way better than okay. What's the blush for? Is it a guy? A girl? Or did you make friends with, like, all the owls before and now you're one of their group?
[Tell her EVERYTHING.]
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So Hilda's very direct line of questioning has her brows creasing and her hands wringing the ends of her long hair immediately as she mutters, ]
Oh, um, well...
[ But at the end of the day, she's promised herself and those who are important to her that she would believe in herself a little more. Still, she hums thoughtfully as though to stall for some time, if nothing else because the answer to Hilda's questions, Ori has not yet had cause to explain to anyone. Hilda, at least, knows more than others about matters concerning Ori's heart. ]
Remember when I told you that I had to kiss two of my friends? Back when those gumdrop fae were around...? I'm... um... we...
[ Her voice fades into something barely above a whisper when she continues, ]
We're... together? All three of us?
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Slowly, her eyes widen as Ori stumbles through her words, and at the end she practically shrieks with glee.]
Seriously, you managed to bag both of them? Good for you!
[Well, it sounds less like 'they are both dating Ori' and more 'all three of them are dating each other,' but honestly? Hilda likes it better the way she said it. Two lovers! How exciting for her!!
Which begs the question...]
You never told me their names. Soooo, who are the lucky people?
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wrapped!
action; shortly after feb event
Even so, seems like a good idea to check in, especially because of what happened the last time something left her real shaken.
Not that they're talking about that, of course.
He frowns to himself as he pauses outside her treehouse door for a moment before knocking.]
Hey, Hilda? You home?
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Which is why she is not at all flustered or surprised when he knocks on her door a few days after the whole 'Romeo and Juliet' thing.]
Baltie?
[She gets up from where she's been lounging and opens the door. A rush of conflicting emotions run through her in the first few moments of looking up at him, all of which she pointedly ignores.]
What brings you by?
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Except for the part where he absolutely has. For half a moment, he thinks about retreating before she can answer, but the door opens before he has the chance to second-guess himself, and he exhales slowly.]
H-hey.
[Not his smoothest greeting. Is his face a little red? Can't be, just a trick of the light.]
I just wanted to— check in with you. See how you were doing. The end of that dreamscape was...
[It hadn't been real, but it still hadn't been easy to watch. He hadn't stuck around for the whole thing, but he'd seen enough.]
... it was pretty rough for everyone involved, yeah?
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Yeah, all of that was wild. I'm kind of hoping I can make it through March without dying in a dream, you know?
[She closes the door behind them with a weak shrug.]
At least this time, I was warned ahead of time and it didn't feel nearly as real. I mean, we kind of died for real in the dream, and it definitely hurt for real in the dream. But making a whole big dramatic production out of it and remembering that it was just a play made it a lot less traumatic than last time.
My Romeo was also a huge help. He was super sweet.
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Can't say I'm a huge fan of that bein' a trend. Be nice to have a change of pace.
[It feels strange to say anything about it so casually— he knows how watching it had made him feel, but he hasn't experienced the same thing for himself. He imagines Hilda has to have some pretty complicated feelings about the whole thing, but of course, it's exactly like her to downplay it and try to shrug things off.]
You guys did really swing for the fences on that one, though.
[The dramatics had helped to make it all less real, at least in theory.]
... sweet, huh. Who was that guy, anyway?
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She's also playing it cool regarding her complicated feelings about the man who's come to check in on her. But that's another issue entirely.]
His name's Dohalim. He definitely is one of those sensitive types, you know? The kind who really cares about art and expression and all of that stuff. But without being all stuffy and weird. He's charming about it.
I'm glad I got paired with him.
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Everyone but them, probably, both of them being experts at ignoring their own feelings for very different reasons.]
Charming.
[He does make an effort not to let himself become hostile, but there's a definite edge to his voice.]
So, uh— you think you're gonna see him again after all the dream stuff?
[Like, do you like him?]
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journal: anon
[YEP. THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL SHE GETS.]
fjdfkldjs ilu
[And what are you thanking her for??!?!?!]
♥
For he does not answer.]
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[Hilda, honey, let this go.]
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Although he does consider for half a second to maybe at least mention something.
...Will she keep messaging him if he doesn't answer. Oh primals—
If she responds again he'll finally respond. With something.]
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