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 Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:25 am
[He's a pastry chef who knows a thing or two about budgeting. She's a seamstress whose studio apartment just isn't cut out for a few buns in the oven. Their budget? ONE MILLION GOLD.
Welcome to House Hunters: Zenner edition.]
[1]
Aurick looked down to the sheet in his hand and then back up to the buildings around them. For the past couple of weeks his family had assisted in getting addresses for several properties looking for renters even though neither he nor Harika had asked for help. When they’d broken news of the pregnancy to his family they’d been ecstatic and more than eager to help get the couple into a nice, stable home together.
The one he hadn’t expected to see much of, but was grateful for, was his mother. Until that moment Petra had kept her distance from the clan and did her best just to get through each day. Heartbreak had taken years from her, but the lightning woman persisted and now walked alongside her oldest. While she was just as tall as her son Petra was a thin woman with sharp features and a stoic look. Aurick knew better, though; beyond that veil was a warm woman who had offered to help her son and his lover find a home for their first child.
“Are you sure she won’t mind? It’s very last minute.”
Aurick reached over to squeeze Petra’s hand. “She might be surprised, but I know she’s wanted to meet you for a while.” And he was tired of setting up meetings only for Petra to walk away from them. He knew she was going through a lot so he tried not to press, but when she’d asked to come along with him to meet Harika…Well, how could he refuse?
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:26 am
[Sabra via Discord]
Harika had spent the morning fluttering about the small space that she had called home for the past few months. Ever since she had managed to snag the small studio the seamstress had turned it into more of a workshop with mannequins and sewing materials strewn about the place while her smaller twin bed was shoved up in the corner away from most of the chaos. She was nervous, extremely so now that she knew Petra was coming along with them today, but there was a happiness and a glow to the hybrid despite her frazzled state. "I should hurry." She chewed on her bottom lip, twisting her hair into a braid and adjusting her layered skirts one final time before slowly opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. Like usual Harika had taken care of her appearance and despite being a few weeks into her pregnancy there was only a slight bump beneath the flowing dress decorated in flowers for the spring season. It was the perfect weather to find a place and move, at least Harika hoped as long as the rains stayed away for them while moving things into whatever place they settled on. All she could hope was that there would be a place close enough to the bakery and maybe even with enough space for her own workshop...unless she rented a spot nearby? There was just so much to plan! A flush of excitement decorated her cheeks as she rushed down the stairs, something she knew she should be more cautious about but maybe she would learn as her pregnancy progressed, and Harika couldn't help but to scan the street as she looked for Aurick's familiar face.
"Over here!" She called out, waving with a bright smile as she swallowed down the nervousness that nearly gave her butterflies and another upset round of morning sickness as she spotted the older lightning woman at Aurick's side.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:28 am
[2]
The moment Aurick saw Harika his anxiety started to fade away. His heart grew lighter, his eyes lifted and his smile just glowed. He started walking toward her without a second thought, pausing only when he was halfway to turn back and look at Petra.
She was still, her body locked while something moved around behind her eyes, and for a moment he feared she would leave. Aurick couldn’t predict what was happening inside of his mother’s mind, but when she closed her eyes, took a breath, and walked towards them he felt at ease. Turning once more toward Harika, he crossed the space between them and gave the hybrid a hug. “Missed you.” When he pulled back Aurick gave Harika a smile meant only for her before stepping aside so nothing lay between the two women.
“Mother, this is Harika. Harika, my mother, Petra.”
Petra cautiously made her way closer. “I am…sorry that I haven’t met you sooner, Harika. I’ve been very rude.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:28 am
[Sabra via Discord]
Harika pressed close to Aurick, savoring the moment as long as she could before finally pulling away to face his mother. Harika was completely comfortable with Aurick, but Petra made her nervous. Was she truly alright with this situation, all things considered? Harika took a breath as Aurick made the introductions and for once was patient as Petra moved closer. It was almost like dealing with a stray perzi, Harika was afraid one bad move could scare the other woman away. "Not at all!" Harika shook her head before holding her own hands out, an offer if Petra wanted to take them. Her expression was bright as she tried to be as welcoming as possible. "Good things come with time, right? As we say on the islands each tide arrives at its own time. I'm just thankful we can meet now. Aurick has always said great things about you, I'm so happy we can meet now and I appreciate your help."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:30 am
[3]
Petra didn’t immediately take Harika’s hands. If anything, the offer made her shoulders stiffen and Aurick’s breath hitched. After a moment, though, she reached out to take them and gave Harika’s hands a little squeeze. “It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for him.” She looked away from Harika to Aurick and gave a small smile before going back to Harika. “I wasn’t expecting to be a grandmother, but I want to be help. My own family was never there for Aurick and his siblings because of who I loved. I can’t imagine treating you the way they treated Mya; my heart couldn’t handle it.”
She gave Harika’s hand another squeeze before letting go and before she could cross her arms across her chest Aurick was there to give her a hug. It was a light little thing, just enough to show support, but Petra’s smile grew.
“Mama would be so proud of you,” She held onto him tight, and Aurick couldn’t keep his eyes from misting.
“She would be proud of you, too.” Aurick took a step back to collect himself and exhaled. “Alright, so! We’ve got….five pages of listings. Think we can narrow any of this down?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:40 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Oh no. Harika nearly let her hands fall back to her sides, but thankfully Petra finally moved to take them. Despite the hesitation there was warmth in the response and Harika found herself relaxing a bit more. She was still worried about messing up things with Aurick's mother, but there was an obvious affection from the older lightning woman which brought a smile back to her own lips. "Thank you, truly." She managed after a moment, emotion swelling up in her throat at the response. Maybe it was just the hormones, but she felt especially overwhelmed despite her optimism and meeting Petra was quickly melting her heart. The hug between Aurick and Petra brought tears to her eyes, but Harika quickly wiped them away. "I'll do my best to keep helping where I can." She promised, understanding that they truly had support in this situation and not wanting to seem like one who was simply taking advantage of things. She could pull her own weight, even if it was a little bit heavier than usual considering her current condition.
"Five pages?" Harika blinked in surprise. She knew that they had a few options, but didn't realize that they had that many. "Well, what about location? Are all of these ideally close to the bakery?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:49 pm
[4]
"You should cross out any that Lavinia added, you know she only looks at the aesthetics and not the price." Petra added as she leaned over to look at the list. Her youngest daughter's handwriting was obvious among the listings of others; no one else had little hearts above the i's.
"Duly noted." Aurick nodded, "That takes out almost an entire sheet and if we narrow it down to locations within a few blocks of the bakery we have a couple that look good. We would have a few more, but everything on this page-" He held it up so the women could see, "-is next to The Wynburg and I can't imagine getting a baby to sleep with that much traffic." Since The Wynburg was the most popular tavern for tourists in the area it garnered a lot of foreign foot traffic and could get rowdy. While it was a fun area to be in on a night off Aurick couldn't imagine raising a family there.
"What is it that you're looking for?" Petra made a motion for the remaining pages and once her son handed them over she started to peruse. "How many rooms, are you wanting a row house or an apartment....a bigger kitchen...those sorts of things."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 1:01 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Harika pursed her lips thoughtfully as she listened to Aurick and his mother discussing the list. "The Wynburg definitely sounds like a bit too much chaos." Babies could cry often, but she doubted drowning those noises with the crowds from next door would be the best idea. It was strange thinking about different types of houses, especially considering she had lived in island huts and on a ship for most of her childhood but at the same time she was finding herself excited about all of the possibilities that a home could bring. In Oba she had lived in the seamstress shop, here she had bounced between hiding spots until getting the studio and now she had the option of rooms and a kitchen? Her hand drifted down towards her stomach thoughtfully. It only made sense because she wanted the most space for their family...as strange as the thought still was for her. A tiny studio simply wouldn't cut it, especially one where Aurick could barely fit through the doorway and filled up a lot of the space inside.
"I'm not quite familiar with how expensive Belrean homes can be. Could we consider three rooms and a decent size kitchen?" She asked, looking between Aurick and Petra. "I could set up a workshop in one while we had a nursey and a bedroom in the other two." It would let her work while staying at home to watch over their child. Even if the bakery was close by, it would be a hassle having to rotate in someone to watch their child and she doubted bringing a child into the bakery would be the best idea with how busy it could get.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 1:11 pm
[5]
"Depending on where they are and how much space you want they can get pricey." Aurick stated with a sigh. "There's only so much space in the city and they know it." Especially once you got closer to the port and shopping districts. His family had been lucky to find their home, more so because of Petra's income, but now that it was only Aurick paying the monthly dues had been hard.
The bakery did well, but not that well. Harika's earnings could only be counted on for so long since Aurick knew she would need some downtime after the birth and hours after that would be varied.
"I think it's possible." Petra looked over the listings and pointed toward one on the bottom of page two. "The closer you get to the bakery the more expensive it would be, but if you were okay with an older home then you could do a little work to it and get by cheaper." And when she looked up, Petra's expression took an earnest edge. "And of course I would help. At least until the little one was here and you two were adjusted to start work again."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 1:28 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check it out, right?" Harika offered glancing over towards Petra with appreciation. "I always have been fond of projects, so why not try updating a house?" Even if it was a super small room she could make due with things, so why not at least check it out? She nodded thoughtfully. "If it's older then maybe it'll be a quieter space and even have a small enough yard for a garden." She knew the bakery was always a constant source of food, but it would be nice to grow their own vegetables and such for personal use. She could even plant a berry bush or something if the space was big enough. Harika was always optimistic and so she couldn't help flashing a smile towards Aurick. "What do you think?" They could go check out that property first, get a feel for it and if necessary check out a couple more before making a decision. Harika truly felt it would be best to find a place closer to the bakery, that way there would be less time wasted moving back and forth between the two places and give their family more time to be at home instead of spending so much time just commuting.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 1:52 pm
[6]
"Even if it's small a yard would be nice." Of course there was a public green that the city's denizens used to unwind, but Aurick liked the idea of opening the door without worry of his child running off. When Harika flashed a smile his way he met her in turn and reached over to take her hand in his. "I think I'd like nothing more than to look out my kitchen window and see you in a big, bright sunhat with our little one by your side." Of course that would be years down the road. The probability of Harika being outside in that same sunhat, her pregnant belly making it difficult to get off the ground, hollering at him for help was much much higher.
"Let's go look at it; if we don't like it, we'll just move on." He gave her hand a little tug and started walking.
Petra took up a position just behind her son and at a diagonal to Harika so conversations would be easier. "So, Aurick told me your from the islands? Has it been hard adjusting to Belrea?".
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 2:04 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Harika laughed quietly at the image. "It's a good goal to have for the future." She admitted even though she was finding it hard to visualize. Maybe once they found a place then she could get a better idea of things? It would be nice, but then again all Harika had known was a world of oceans and beaches before moving to Oba for more sand and then to Belrea where brick buildings dominated most of the landscape by the bakery. Still, she could only hope that they could find some patch of green even if it was a tiny yard tucked behind the house.
"Sounds like a plan." Harika laced her fingers with Aurick's and glanced over at Petra when she started speaking with her. "Hmm...a little bit." She admitted after a moment with a small smile. "I did start out in Oba after leaving the islands, worked there as a seamstress before coming here to study the different fashions. At first it was tough but Aurick helped me out a lot, I don't know where I would be without him." She had been bouncing between odd jobs and looking for work as a seamstress before finally settling in with the little pay from the bakery backing her up. "Now though I don't think I could live anywhere else. Belrea has been an amazing experience and the fashions here...I love how creative I can be with my designs." Harika beamed at the very thought. She had been doing quite a bit of work lately and was hoping to get so much more done before taking a little break for the baby.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 2:15 pm
[7]
"Oba? I imagine their sense of fashion is quite a bit different than ours. I can't imagine pleated skirts and high collars would fair well in the desert." Neither could Aurick. He'd never personally left Belrea, but he'd met with foreigners a few times and some of them wore the strangest things.
If asked a few months ago Aurick would have never believed this was happening. Walking down the street, subtly leading the way while his mother and the mother of his children conversed? It was a mental shock; though a welcomed one. His family had needed something bright for a long time and Harika was just the one to deliver. In more ways than one, it seemed.
There was underlying current of worry that ran strong, however. As excited as he was every time Harika casually made a move to touch her belly and Petra caught it her eyes would darker. How could they not? She'd lost the love of her life in childbirth and Aurick could remember the screams. Every day he reminded himself that they were completely different women, that everything would be fine, but until the child was here it wouldn't stop.
"I'm curious to see how you dress the baby. They'll be the talk of the block, I'm sure." Petra looked up and conferred with the sheet. "Ah, I think we're here."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 2:42 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"No, unfortunately I don't think they would fair well there." Harika chuckled as she tried to imagine it. "I have a few outfits still from Oba and could show you some designs, if you'd like. It wouldn't be awful to try an outfit in the summer, especially if you ever visit the beach. I have an indigo piece that could really accent your eyes." Some of the flowing dresses or split skirts could definitely be comfortable when walking across the sands and enjoying the ocean view. Harika did still sometimes mingle the designs together, coming up with her own creations that made her stand out even as she blended in as much Belrean fashion as possible. Though it also didn't help having bright pink hair and longer pointed ears in a crowd of geians and lightning....not that she minded. Harika was one to stand out and she definitely worked to keep a good appearance for whenever she did go out and about.
"Ah, I have thought about that. I'll definitely have a few designs ready by the time they arrive." Harika promised, not trying to show any fear about the baby's arrival considering all that she had learned about Aurick and his family. The loss of a mother was tough and she could only imagine the fears that floated about the family whenever they thought about the arrival of this little one. Once again though Harika just kept her gaze bright, her determination to stay optimistic keeping her going even as she sometimes had her own worries.
Speaking of keeping optimistic though...Harika blinked, her hand unconsciously tightening around Aurick's fingers as she studied the property in question. "Well...there is plenty of space." It wasn't pressed tightly against the neighboring houses like most of the newer places and while the porch definitely could use some new stain and perhaps a new piece of wood or two or more it was a wrap around porch somehow in the city. There looked like an upstairs or at least some sort of attic space since she saw another window in the roof and the shingles could be replaced over time while a cracked window was also an easy fix. She just hoped it was the crack in the window allowing in a breeze that stirred the curtains in the main room overlooking the street. "We could paint the shutters something bright and the bricks could be warmer shades once the dust is cleaned off."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 2:54 pm
[8]
"Oh I'm too old for all of that." Petra ducked her head with a little color to her cheeks only to have her son scoff.
"Mother please. You were barely an adult when you had me; you're still plenty young enough to dress however you want. Even if you were in your older years I'd say wear what makes you happy." Petra had always worn fashionable things, but in a conservative, professional way. The only times Aurick had ever seen her wear anything 'fun' was when Mya conned her into it.
Any light hearted thoughts of his mother freely enjoying the ocean and wearing his love's designs tapered off upon looking at the house. He reached over to pat their joined hands without taking his eyes off the property. "It definitely has character." It didn't blend in with the neighborhood at all, but maybe that was for the best? Their own little family wouldn't blend either so maybe this was a sign? "You could paint it however you wanted and it looks like the front door needs to be replaced so we could add one with a stained glass window? Something bright and cheerful."
Pausing a moment, he turned to look at Petra, "Do the notes say anything about structural issues? Can we walk inside?"
"They don't say anything concerning so I suppose so?"
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