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 Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:00 am
Conversation that danced over his head, and to Reed it was suddenly no wonder that Sonias profession involved a sword. In her hand, with her mouth - sharp tongue and how she traded those words with her family rapid fire. “Ah..” felt like he had verbal whiplash’s no so settled and waited it out - took a moment to breathe. Rolled through her fathers strong words that pales as a threat and her mothers insistence that it wasn’t his place to help… Focused on the notion of Sonias items in boxes in order to avoid the veritable land mines - those labeled ‘boyfriend’ and ‘person to be intimidated’ - didn’t like at all the suggestion that Sonia had brought him home for some such purpose, or that he was taking her into his for others.. “I think - I can promise to keep her safe at the very least” an absolute lie, but he’d say barring at that point. “I wouldn’t deign you say that there’s any part of her that needs handling, but? I survive others tempers all day long…” the woman wasn’t a child surely she didn’t throw tantrums like one. Reed could parse her power easily enough, but didn’t see her as some threatening thing… “You said you had boxes..maybe o could see your room? It might help me gauge a time?” Absolute lies, but it’s get him out of the spotlight center being at her kitchen table…also? He was curious…
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 7:28 pm
"I think that's a good idea," motioned for him to follow as she moved from the table back down the hallway to the stairs. The wooden steps with wrought-iron rails led up to three bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a linen closet. To the immediate right was Sonia's room. "You'll have to pardon the mess," she commented before opening the door. Each wall was painted a soft pastel yellow, the ceiling a standard white with grey carpets. The far wall had one window, a full-sized now empty bookshelves on either side with a seated bench between them; two round pillows, one orange and one red added for comfort to lean against. On the left was a queen-sized bed with a simple headboard centered on the wall, a yellow and orange comforter draped across it. Beside it was a nightstand, almost antique looking with the brushed white paint that seemed to be flaking off but it might be intentional patina. On it was a Moravian star table lamp which seemed to carry a bit of a theme in the room as there were three paper lanterns, similar colors to the pillows, hanging on the opposite side of the room. There was a desk on the right and beside it a dresser with another door that was a small walk-in closet. Nine boxes were stacked to the immediate left when they walked inside. Two garbage bags, mostly junk she didn't remember keeping, one at the foot of the bed and the other with a knot tied at the top ready to be thrown out the next time she went outside. "I'm still going through a few things under the bed and in the closet. The rest is just clothes." A few more hours should be enough time to throw the rest of what she'd be bringing into a box. "Listen..." sighed then stepped further into the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Please forget about the last comments you heard." Here she was hoping that they might push him into reconsidering her as a roommate candidate and instead she was the one left to feel incredibly embarrassed. "I used to bring friends over often back when I was in grade school. But that changed when I was in college after this became a thing..." Didn't know who she could trust and rather than open it, Sonia errored on the side of everyone was hiding something and kept most an arm's length away; or a sword's length in her case. "It's nothing more than that..." Sonia couldn't even look him in the eye and instead stared at the stack of boxes beside Reed.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:08 am
Soft stepped up the stairs behind her, grateful for the reprieve from the overwhelm of her family. A space to breathe as he was led through their home, up the stairs, into her space. Like the rest of their home, Sonias room held more life in it than Reed's entire home. Vibrant and overfull with bits and pieces of her. Things that screamed of her interests, chock pull of personality and vibrant colorization. He almost couldn't help himself, lured in, a stiff dry thing amongst the bright wash of it all. Had to admire the lamp, balk slightly at how it reminded him both of space, of stars and starseeds. "It's all soo..." to compliment it, to rummage - stopped and went quiet at the sound of her voice. "I wasn't really paying that much attention anyways." Sly little smile that said he'd remember all of it, not to mock, just for the joy of seeing that look on her face, the fidget of her form as if he'd been privy to something private and unknown. "It's nice I think. That your family cares enough about you to ensure that you have 'friends'. Maybe...if 'this' all gets better, you can start having those things again. Ah, the 'friends'?" a soft breath and shrug. Had to go and actually poke the lamp to watch it swing. "You are grown now though...Which, if you do end up needing to bring friends over, please give me some warning?" the idea of walking into his home, and finding her there, and finding her there specifically with 'other people'. Blanch for that, because he could already imagine the scene he'd make - quiet seeth of it - "You worry too much Sonia, that I care enough to be bothered by any of it. Aside from how they feel on me? That's the point of this little venture. Assuaging concerns, ironing out any little wrinkles of worry.." a shrug to the obvious, soft as he spoke, gave an appreciative glance around her space and imagined all of it in a room in his home - how bright it'd become. How he wondered if he'd miss it - if enough time passed that the impermanency of the situation became more permanent. He couldn't imagine her trading any of what she had away for anything else though. Her warm little home, her bright little room, her knicknacks and baubles, and a family that cared enough to notice her life outside their owns.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:07 pm
Sonia rolled her eyes, fought the urge to say 'yes father' to him as he added to the list of house rules they'd already discussed. "You don't have to worry about me bringing anyone over." Would have left it at that but added, "But, if that changes, I will let you know." Wanted to ask if he'd allow her to paint the room before she moved the boxes over but bit her tongue on that. Erroring on the side of caution, she remained skeptical on whether or not this arrangement would even work out and decided it was best not to make more waves than her presence would already create. "So, what are you thinking timewise?" A safer topic to keep things from falling into an awkward silence. "When would work best for you?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2021 6:19 am
Time was a thing worth considering, considerate of her to offer him the chance to pick and choose. “Something over the weekend would work best with my current work schedule - though I suppose with a key you can start whenever you wish, it’s simply they if you need help with anything?” A soft shrug for it, crossed his arms over his center and admired all the little pieces of ‘her’, that existed in the place of her center. Her room like his garden in some ways, easy to equate it to that over all else. “Will you be bringing all of this?” and he Wondered at how permanent she’d make the move seem to her family? Would she strip the place bare of even the colors on the walls, siphon herself from her families home and drain out that color into his. Would she only take parts and pieces - live I two worlds at once - have a place to come hone to whenever - sanctuary of her loving families embrace and room she was only stepping out of temporarily. For an undetermined span of time between now and later.
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:45 pm
"No, the furniture will be staying." Each were sturdy pieces that she'd had for well over a decade. "My grandparents will be visiting this November, usually they take my room and I sleep on the couch. I don't want my parents to buy something new only for it to be uncomfortable." "I'll only be bringing the things that can fit into my car since you had some furniture already in the room." Wasn't going to inquire about the bed downstairs or anything else that might be unused. "A bed frame and box bed are both pretty cheap and easy to put together. I'll use a temp blow-up mattress until I can get a new one delivered." Which might be an additional week or two depending on availability. "Bookshelves are relatively cheap and I can get a new reading chair," something to stand in place of the bench by the window. She'd always been interested in getting one of those round cushioned seats with the wicker base, might be a perfect time to get one. "I'll be able to assemble it on my own," No need to interrupt his day by building things or rummaging through her boxes to put things away.
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 7:53 am
"It takes very little for me to assist with getting some unused things moved into the upstairs space, if you'd rather not spend the money on it at all? The guest room - any of them - their practically untouched. You'll likely end up spending more on lysol and pine spray than anything else." an idea that formed, for getting the spaces more ready than they were. For putting in his time and effort to leave things at least dust free and shined up for her usage. Maybe he could surprise her with it? A thing to do - set the rooms clean and fresh with linen and bed spread - make it something she'd have more ease at changing - or at least falling into. Moving was a taxing thing, he remembered as much, and hoped she'd be less likely to take his head off over simple things if he made it a tad bit less...exhausting. "Oh, the rest of that is all fine. What about - the little things? Your lamps, and well..." splayed his hands for the handful of boxes, for the draperies, all the little bits of her. "Or is that too much like permanency? I can't help but think the colors of this would be entertaining in my home. It's not as though anything else is going on in there.." soft scoff for such, the truth of it. She could fill her room with as many belongings as she felt she'd need - unless the reason she wasn't, was part in parcel with the fact that she didn't need to - his home more a hideaway dorm than an actual 'home' for her. A temporary space house - and how convenient she had family that came to stay - that would make it so she could come to him with so little. Scattering of boxes and clothing to tuck away into the hollows of what would become temporarily hers. "If you're going to be living there...I want you to be 'living' there." not a cage, not a prison, nor a dungeon of any sort. He needed to impress that - realized how confusing he was being - hot and cold - stay and go- how little he understood of what he actually wanted from the whole of the encounter. "Comfortably...I want you to - tsk - you should be comfortable? Does that make sense?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2021 12:58 am
Sonia regarded him from where she sat on the bed. Had to give credit where credit was owed. For how backward and sideways their first introduction had gone, it truly felt like he was actually trying to be somewhat of a gracious host. "You are being very hospitable and I appreciate the offer." "Normally I would insist on replacing what's missing with something new or inexpensive. But, if you're truly willing to let me borrow some other furniture from the other rooms then," She paused finding the words to be more difficult than they otherwise should be. "I'd like... to come over and help move them, please." Yes, it might bug her a bit if they didn't match but it's something she could live with since they were borrowed and not something she'd had to buy. The bed, however, was something she might want to try sleeping on for a night before they tried moving that upstairs. "The lamps will be the last thing I bring since I don't want to accidentally break them." They held a lot of sentimental value and she'd be absolutely devastated if any of them broke or were damaged in transit. If he truly wanted more color in his home then that was something they could address once she was settled in. The last thing she wanted to do was transplant herself into his house then overlay everything with her own culture or tastes. Her bedroom and the bathroom she'd use was a decent place to start, everything else would come in time, and likely would need to utilize indoor plants to accommodate his hobby and taste.
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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:04 am
“In horticulture, it would be considered grafting - it’s nearly poetic, actually, how similar that is to this, to what we’re doing? A splicing together of two very different things, and one grows off the other, yet retains itself.” Soft flair of a smile for speaking in a way he was familiar, of things he understood - if not innately - than through practice of such. Thought to explain his reasoning in that manner instead. “If I am the rootstock. Then you are the scion? It’s how people get those strange trees that bear pears as well as cherry blossoms…” failing of a pause, and Reed searched for better words - for a simplification- and found none. Shrugged with what he had and nodded along easily. He would be happy to have her transplant her throngs for comfort, to aid with growth. To show - if any came sniffing around - that yes another person lived with him who was undoubtedly her, instead of him just tossing some clothes about and claiming ‘she is here and serving well’. “Mm, I think that’d be fine, if you insist on helping. The delicate items can come last. I think this will help me outfit the rooms better as well? You just admit my guest rooms somewhat lack for being ‘inviting’, to people at least.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:58 am
If it wasn't that he seemed pleased with the idea, Sonia would have assumed that he was calling her some SciFi parasite by referring to her as a scion. Supposed she could see the practicality in it; a tree that could grow multiple fruits instead of one so only one plant needed nurturing instead of many. "Your guestrooms are suitable for temporary visits but not really inviting for permanency," as he so put it. "Keeping things minimal, simple even, isn't bad. At least it makes cleaning after someone leaves significantly easier." Shrugged for the thought of it and wondered what he'd do once the downstairs room was found to be more empty than before. "Are you going to be looking to fill the last room with another tennant?" Chose her words carefully with that one as she nearly said 'conscripted subordinate' instead. No need to sour the mood since he was being cordial about it. Nonetheless, she did worry about having to live with not one, but two strangers and worried that he might just put someone there instead of conferring with her first.
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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:56 pm
the remembrance of how hard it was to fill it with her alone - except she wasn't a tenant at all - and he'd failed on finding a roommate. Roil of confused emotion that flitted over his features, pain of nights spent and revelation's that had come of those. The sorts of revelations that had born nothing but inner turmoil and self loathing that had not a damned thing to do with her. "I'd rather not, for the moment. I think one is simply enough to start with...I don't even have a second bed. Where would I put them, the floor? Which...my home is not a frat house, we're not putting up air mattresses in it. We will 'get' you something if what's downstairs isn't suitable.." the thought of getting more things though, of using her ideas to soundboard off of and make his spaces look like somethings that could be lived in? Maybe that had been the issue - his home didn't look suitable for people - didn't' appear lived in - except by greener things - except by the types who browsed magazines and saw what was there to be to 'picture' like to live in comfortably. "Your input is - valid - in this. My guest rooms haven't held guests in. Well. I took a bit of a hiatus - and it suffered for it. It's taken a bit of work to get the upkeep on the yard alone back to a passable status." offered as if in way of apology for rooms that looked as though they should've been clothed in sheets rather then in things brought in by people.
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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:08 pm
"It's a lot of house for only one person to care for. Especially when you have not one, but two jobs to worry about." Neither of which were optional for either of them and definitely cut into any spare time he might have had. "I'll do what I can to help out," Sonia offered. Yes, they had already briefly touched on the subject of chores but after the conversation of rent being unnecessary, she decided that she'd make up the difference by either making sure the common rooms were dusted once a week or helping out with other tasks if asked. The garden, however, was his space as was the study upstairs. Those places she intended to leave well alone and only go in when invited, otherwise she'd just admire the landscaping and aromatic scents from her bedroom window until the weather demanded she close it. "So, I'm thinking maybe Friday I can stop by and we can move some unused furniture into the room. Saturday I will bring the boxes over." Wouldn't start unpacking them just yet but all she had was one room worth of belongings so it's not as if he'd have to fret about cardboard boxes being stacked everywhere. "I'll need to use Sunday to finish cleaning this room so it's nice for when my grandparents visit. If it's too late by the time I'm done then I'll just sleep here and head back to your house Monday and work on unpacking while you're at school." Should be done by the time he got home that way there'd be less noise to distract him in case there were papers that needed grading or lessons to prepare.
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Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 8:50 am
"I think I'd appreciate that." to say that he'd taken little to no consideration of the fact that - one - his home was a chore to clean - and two? He'd be adding another person to that workload..Well, hindsight was twenty/twenty, and maybe he was lucky enough to have Sonia's outside perspective on such. Her foresight of having lived with a family for so long that she maybe had a better grasp of such things than he did. Gaze lingered on the lamp, and he really just had to make himself stop staring at it. He wanted one, he realized. Personalized things with a natural touch - something ktichky to make his home look lived in. To make it feel like he lived in it. Shook the thought from his head entirely and focused on her words, on how reasonable she was being with everything. That she needed the time to finish up at home... "Of course you can have it, the time that is. Those days are more than workable for me to schedule it all into." to pause and consider. How many things she had to handle, how vibrant and full her family life was. "You really do have a very large family, don't you?" or maybe that was a normal thing to have? Or maybe Reed was just so out of the loop of norm that...well..."You should visit when they do - if that's something of the norm for you all." Reed couldn't help but wonder if her grandparents were nice people, if they brought gifts and made meals.
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Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2021 1:42 am
He seemed more melancholy than before, one foot out the door with thoughts of something he obviously didn't want to give voice to. Fortunately, Reed appeared to be calmer, less overwhelmed by her father's interrogatories and Spanglish conversation. Likely because it was just the two of them while her parents chatted away downstairs in the kitchen. Sounds of dishes chiming against one another were the telling sign that Antone was loading the dishwasher at the moment. Their muffled conversation filtering in through the open door but they seemed content to leave the two of them alone while they make plans for the actual move. Honestly, she had expected him to have left before dinner, called it off, and decided it would be too much trouble. But Reed was proving to be resilient and at the moment she wasn't entirely sure if that was a good or bad thing. Even so, his patience was something to be admired "I do have an extensive family but most still live in Spain. Only a few of us have moved to the states, mostly because of business opportunities." Sonia definitely missed some of her cousins fiercely. One of the few things she missed about grade school were summer vacations, being able to go back and spent at least a month with them. "My grandparents will be visiting over Thanksgiving week and the week after. I'll probably spend a couple of nights over here but I won't know what days until they get here." All things considered, it didn't feel that far away. "Anyway, we can talk more later. For now, unless you like churros and chocolate dip, then I think I should probably help you escape before you get stuck here for dessert." Could probably just tell them that he still had some lesson planning to do for work.
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Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2021 12:14 pm
The mention of Spain, light in his eyes for that, and he wanted to meet them almost. To invite himself into her world, even if for just a brief moment of time. Pretend he had lovely grandparents from overseas, family who lived in places near warm beaches and the backdrop of sun-kissed shores. People who would've brought trinkets and stories, who would've brightened his home enough that he would've been willing to make room for them as easily as she had. To let them in - to reach out? "I think, that honestly sounds wonderful? I've always wanted to go to Spain proper. Any information on it...well...It's a place on my bucket list? Maybe its easier to say that." maybe he would dig, could make it a point of levity - a middle ground for safer conversations. All the things she could tell him of her family back home. Lifestyles and foods there. "Mmh, I can only imagine..." soft smile and nod, conspiratorial, as she mentioned helping him flee. As though he was someone who needed to be ferried out into the night in order to escape a grave fate. Which, maybe he did? Reed finally gave in and poked her decorative lamp before he lost the opportunity to do so. Watched the thing wiggle. Such a pretty shade of glass. "I'll take your offer, if you so happen to bring churros and chocolate with you when you come over the weekend? It'd be a nice - ah - thing to share for moving in?" wince for how awkward that felt to say. "What I mean is, I could cook dinner, if you'd bring desert? It might be nice to have, after all the work is completed, of course."
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