(2024-09-20) A Townhouse of Very Particular Choices

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Author:	Athena
Summary:	Avrenne takes advantage of a Tiny Cakes Day to do what she always does when there are social events in progress: do some business about it. In this case, hire on Merelda Veyne to begin the work on the Fallon Stormwind City Townhouse, a place of business with acceptable sleeping arrangements. 4k~ words.
Rating:	T for Teen

As the others explore either the gardens to see what new plants have taken root at Fallon House, and others retire to their rooms to let stories or thoughts take root in their brooding minds, Avrenne draws Lady Merelda aside, caught neatly in the Duchess' well timed net, led to Siamus' office — where a pot of gladiolus filled with hot, strong black tea with two neat, delicate porcelain cups decorated with sweet orange pansies await in anticipation — and offered a seat, as Avrenne takes her own at the couch that faces out towards the windows. At the table is not only the tea, but also a ledger, a very large book, a folder, and a neat little rectangular bag laid neatly on its side, all organized to one side of the table, leaving room in the center.

Avrenne twitches the skirt of her dress into place, before she leans forward to perform the hostess duty of pouring the tea, hers left black, the milk, sugar, and lemon slice on offering left alone. "Have you had an opportunity to refresh your portfolio as of yet, Lady Merelda?" She asks, as she pours Merelda a cup and sets it closer to the other woman to pick up.

Merelda takes the offered seat. As she picks up the tea and adds a bit of milk and sugar, she answers, "I have, as it happens. There's been plenty of work in Stormwind and environs, so I've had choices of projects. I do try to keep a little Gilnean flair in my work, though I think I've gotten a decent handle on the Stormwind style in recent weeks."

"Have you noticed any difficulties in those contracts, any disparity of pay or access to materials, or any hostility from the established guilds as an outsider from their ranks, or have you managed yet to be incorporated within them?" Avrenne asks with the same cool composure as she would ask how Merelda takes her tea, if she did not already know the answer.

"Oh, I was yelled at a time or two," Merelda says with a slight shrug. "But in my experience if you're uncertain of how to do a thing, it's best to just do it. People who are uninterested in explaining the right way generally pipe up when they see you doing it the wrong way. I believe I've made all the right contacts and acquired the right memberships by now, and the wealth of available projects have prevented my being shortchanged. I've been having the customers contact material suppliers for the time being, to avoid the possibility of a worgen markup. I know what I'm worth, and I know my commodity prices. I refuse to be desperate."

Avrenne does not hide either the small smile of her lips or the sparkle of approval in her eyes. "Very well done, Lady Merelda, an excellent way to begin as one intends to continue on," she says, taking a sip of her tea delicately. She then sets it down, and leans slightly sideways and forward, moving to set her hands lightly over the folder on the table.

"On that note, I have recently obtained a new parcel of land in Stormwind to see the re-establishment of House Fallon in Stormwind City. The location is as ideal as one can now hope given the recent alterations of the districts with the loss of the Park, but I have some concerns as to the fitness of the building for our purposes. It's my intention to demolish the majority of it, if not all, and to rebuild to suit our needs and wants accordingly. It's also my intent to purchase the property next to this lot, and to link the two residences at the successful purchasing of it," she says, as though this is an inevitability. Eventually that property will belong to her House. "I would like to hire you for these purposes, and I will be pleased to act as the contractor for the materials you will need." Avrenne's hand moves to touch down lightly on the very large book on the table.

Merelda nods, accepting that all Avrenne's aims will come to pass. That's what ladies do, get things done, in her experience.

"I spoke a little with Lord Fallon about the possibility of doing some work for your house, if not the details, so the request does not come entirely as a surprise. To see how it might fit with my existing projects, what timescale do you envisage for a complete building?" Merelda eyes the folder, which may hold some answers. "And are you married to the idea of starting with the one property and adding the second, or might a single structure be built over both lots? I will say, new building is in some ways simpler than renovation, as I wouldn't need to account for poor choices made by the previous owner."

"If I were to wait until the second property were to be obtained, and to have the two lots rezoned to accommodate a single joint residence, it would delay the usefulness of a townhouse available to a timetable that I don't find acceptable," Avrenne says with an aristocratic moue. "The foundation of the first house is not ill done, but the materials used and the design of the place is wholly unsuitable for our household and my standards for longevity of a building. However, I am no expert, and thus I will bend to your expertise as you see fit, Lady Merelda. You need not worry as to any ego of impediment there." She opens the folder with deft, efficient movements of her fingers.

The folder's interiors reveal the copies of original blueprints of the property Avrenne has purchased, and another paper written in Avrenne's hand noting the materials used in the original building, with several underlined (in such a line so straight as to have only been able to be by a ruler). These are all the materials that appear to be considered problematic, easy to identify as so because they are all notably cheap options that likely cut several corners of construction when it was originally built in Year 9, which is the listed year of when it was built.

The building in question is a two-story townhouse of some very particular choices: a downstairs that opens up directly into an overlarge parlor (likely very difficult to heat properly in the winter) with no foyer or receiving area, and which blends into a semi-closed dining area. The kitchen is off to one side, along with a clos — oh, no, that's not a closet, that's meant to be a bedroom, maybe for someone who sleeps in a hammock, because no bed of any size could fit inside it, especially as the door opens inwards into the small room — and is of such a small size that cooking for any household larger than two or three residents would require some very lateral thinking. A large amount of space is lost under the staircase, with nothing of the space beneath it used.

The upstairs is an architect's nightmare of Useless Hallway, long and angled, valuable square footage lost in unnecessary angles of walls, and likely very dark. These lead off to four bedrooms, one of which has no exterior window, and one bathroom spread among them, and then culminating in one large master bedroom rather unnecessarily large and could have easily been two or three rooms itself, with a bay window, and a very large bathroom that — for reasons it may be best to not speculate too loudly about — has no doors whatsoever, simply a large archway between the bedroom area and the bathroom area. This room also has a large window, over where the piping indicates a bath would go (again, we won't think too long on this).

Merelda takes her time looking over the blueprints and the materials in silence, her lips slightly pursed in disapproval. Finally, she passes her judgment.

"This strikes me as a house designed by the inhabitant, with little knowledge of proper residential floor plans," Merelda says, tracing the useless hallway. "Perhaps for lack of money to hire a professional. That would track with the decisions here." Merelda taps the places Avrenne has underlined. "It would be a considerable challenge to work with this, but if that's your preference I would. I'd likely just strike it to the support walls and redo the entire layout. But… that also leaves the exterior. I gathered from Lord Fallon that you might prefer something of a Gilnean style, as it bears some semblance to the styles popular in Kul Tiras. If you agree with that, I would recommend demolition and starting again."

"Yes, just as you say," Avrenne agrees. "As for the style, given the location and the district, I don't think a full stylistic rendering of any one foreign place, Gilneas, Kul Tiras, or Lordaeron, would best suit, given its potential to seem as though a rejection of Stormwind, and House Fallon is of Stormwind." Her tone is simple and cool, a statement of fact.

"For that, however, I think that the interior could reflect much more of our blended nationalities, and I would be willing to consider many of the exterior flourishes and beneficial designs of those other than Stormwind's own, into something innovative, representative of cultural integration, without clashing into a cacophony to the eyes. A building of the Alliance, if you will, rather than only of Stormwind." The Avrenne Esprit Fallon mantra and way.

She sets her finger tapping lightly over one of the materials — roofing. "This one, unfortunately, is also not negotiable, and is mandated by the city. Each district has singular roofing choices of color and material, but I expect that you likely know this by now."

"Ah, yes, we must all demonstrate our loyalty to Stormwind," Merelda says, her voice carefully neutral as one hand draws up into a fist. There's a moment where she breathes, pushing down an unhelpful and irrational instinct. The moment passes, and she smiles and continues,"And yes, I'm acquainted with the color scheme. It does limit your options, as you won't want to clash. I'll do what I can for multiculturalism on the interiors, though much would be best enhanced by decoration, which is not my specialty."

Avrenne's attention on Merelda is as direct as ever; there are no emotions that break through the composure that reveal any of her thoughts on Merelda's moment. Instead she addresses the last comment as she says, "It's not mine either, truth be told, and is generally the provenance of my sister-in-law, Sintha, but in this case I refer to simple touches here and there that speak to certain cultural touches, such a formal, enclosed dining room of Lordaeron, or the Stormwind style to have a singular bedroom for a married couple." One bedroom, Merelda, as if they are some sort of married for love couple, ha ha, odd little cultural things.

"Have you given any thought to a long term residence for yourself, Lady Merelda? It can seem…defeatist, perhaps, to do so," Avrenne says, moving a hand in a vague circle in the air, as she settles on the word. Her tone isn't unkind, and there is a lift of her chin. "As if to admit that one's homeland is under a siege that will not be easily ousted, and that there will be no return. It's a familiar sense, as you can imagine, as Lordaeron has been occupied by the Forsaken for nearly a decade now, and one does find one's patience wear thin over such time, but it's not about permanence in Stormwind, to accept it as one's country, and the loss of one's own. It's about comfort to one's self in the present, and not feeling as though the ground might shift under one's feet at any moment."

"My parents and I have a place in the city, for the time being," Merelda says, which doesn't really answer the question, but then she adds, "It's temporary, but could become something permanent with time. Or perhaps we will find somewhere to build something new. Gilneas City is… not merely invaded by the Forsaken, but blighted. All else aside, I can't say how long it will take for that to subside, such that the area is livable again."

"Mm. For that, you will have to speak to the experts on such matters, but there is some inherent hope that there are such experts. Eastweald has been long blighted, known as the 'Plaguelands' for so many long years, and has been recently greatly reclaimed, the first such example, and as we all know, the first test of the unknown is always the longest, fraught with trial and error, but science and magic have prevailed in the end," Avrenne says, taking a sip of her tea. "Stormwind City may not have as many offerings for individuality of expression, but the Kingdom has space for all of us that come from other kingdoms that await action to reclaim them."

She sits back more onto the couch. "And so it is here that we have some projects that might interest you as well. You made the acquaintance of Lord Arric Falrevere at Priscilla and Lord Bertrand Aspenwood's wedding not so long ago, if I recall correctly?"

"I did, yes," Merelda nods. "A very amiable young man, though I spoke to him only briefly. Is there an interesting project he might need assistance with?"

"Lord Arric is a recent arrival from Kul Tiras, who has taken up a longer term residence in Elwynn, of a property that has been, well, neglected by virtue of having lost its original family to tend to it, shall we say, a not altogether uncommon problem, through either tragic loss of life, or the hardships of the past few decades of strife," Avrenne says. War gets costly, and nobles either sink or swim. "He is still establishing himself, but if you were to look for a project that would have far more freedom of expression, he is an agreeable man who would perhaps be interested in finding a way to bring a little bit of home off the islands."

Merelda considers that, and then nods. "I may speak with him on the topic. I have never actually been to Kul Tiras myself, but with the similarities… and I will, naturally, run any design by a client, as I would for you. On that subject, for your own project, it sounds as though it is both urgent and long-term. How soon would you anticipate moving into this new property?"

"No later than the start of next winter," Avrenne says. "Sooner would be preferable, naturally, but one must make accommodations for design, and construction both, particularly as we do so within the time of war, and some materials are at premium, and best put towards our defenses at the front."

"That…" Merelda checks this against various ledgers in her head. She did not bring them to a tiny cakes party, but her post-feral memory is still sharp. "That could work, within my existing obligations. And to be clear, shall I plan for a full rebuild or to work with the existing structure?"

"It is my general feeling as a rule that when one hires an expert, one should listen to the expertise of that person," Avrenne says in that same cool polite tone. "When I say that it seems to me that the foundation is salvageable, I do mean the base foundation itself." She leans forward once more to use a well-manicured hand to skim the air above the blueprint that shows the foundation of the house. "It covers most of the lot, which is how I would prefer for a residence of this nature, and the plumbing, natural gas, and electrical base all seem to be in order by city ordinance, though as I am given to understand such things, it will limit your options for various parts of the structure, the plumbing being in one place versus another dictating how the pipes within shall go, and so on."

Avrenne opens the bag lying on its side, and removes from it an old brass key, placing it on the table. It has attached to it by a thin but sturdy navy ribbon a small card with an address printed on it in neat, slightly rectangular script. "But of course, you may go and see the place for yourself, and determine what might be the best course based on the lot as you see it. I am not interested in attempting to become an amateur architect myself. I will follow your guidance in the matter, Lady Merelda, and provide you only with the information of what it is that we need from such a residence. The decisions of best practices to achieve those needs will be left in your capable hands."

"Yes, well, most things can be altered with the application of enough money and skilled labor," Merelda says, reaching out for the key. "And in extreme cases, magic. I would never put my name to any work that didn't meet to my own standards, of course, but there are options that fit within that envelope. When there are, I will always offer them to you for consideration. Often, however much they may say otherwise, clients find that they do have strong opinions on layout or style, and they only realize this until I have a draft proposal to show them. For the first step, I can have a look at the property, and sketch out a proposal in say… a month's time? Then we can go over the details, and I can take into account your own preferences. I will not ask you to become an architect, but only to share your own impressions, and whether the work I propose will fit your and your family's needs."

Merelda pauses, and then adds, "I also think that I will plan with the assumption that you will secure the second lot. That will allow me to make decisions that will more smoothly enable us to make the addition, when the time comes."

Avrenne's smile is small, but there, before she flicks it off as a show of emotion. "It is a reasonable assumption," she agrees, a carefully held neutral tone to avoid bragging; she is simply stating a fact. "If you would like a tour of the house here, to see what we are accustomed to, and what sort of designs we have accommodated therein for those that reside here currently, I would be pleased to show you." She's already rising to a stand, moving a little awkwardly off the couch from her belly setting her off balance. "Not all who reside in Fallon House will need a place in the first townhouse, but there will be those who will need a place in both."

Merelda moves to stand as well, stepping to offer a hand if needed to the pregnant lady, but otherwise making no comment on it. "I would be pleased to see it, and it would help in the planning. I'll need to know the number of bedrooms, of course, but I can also take into account preferences on size, location and so forth, so that they might be most comfortable in both locations."

Avrenne instead uses the open gesture of Merelda's hand to set it in link to Avrenne's own, in the manner of an escorting clasp, as she sweeps them out of Siamus' office, turning immediately to the right, where Avrenne's own bedroom is. Across the hall from the Lord and Lady Fallon's bedrooms is a large portrait of Avrenne dressed in her wedding gown, the painting visible.

"Of course," Avrenne agrees. "The precise number of bedrooms for the first place I shall decide on when you can give me a good estimate for what is practical based on the true size of the place, but you may count on a minimum of eight that must be found room for the household, and four for staff." She opens the door to her own bedroom, and it might strike Merelda that this is an example of the way the house has its own forms of blended cultural touches, for within is a room that is like someone has plucked out a piece of Lordaeron and grafted it onto the house.

The room is bright, feminine, and cultured. There is one possible oddity in that there appears to be a painting, perhaps, based on size and shape, to the left of the bed that is covered by a cloth. There is no visible reason for this. "This is my bedroom," Avrenne tells Merelda, as if it were not extremely obvious. "The Vice Admiral's is the one directly next to this." It would seem that the Lord and Lady Fallon sleep apart, and keep separate spaces, except for possibly the purposes necessary for the creation of heirs.

Merelda scans over the room with a careful eye, pausing briefly on the covered painting.

"Eight and four at minimum," Merelda repeats, turning to take in the room. "And you prefer the style of Lordaeron? Does that eight include both a his-and-hers master suite?"

"Yes. We had such a singular room in the last townhouse, and it was acceptable," Avrenne says. Such romance. She allows Merelda only a moment to take general notes, before she moves to leave the room, holding by the door to wait for her architect companion. "Generally speaking we will be only on occasion both in residence for the evening, and our primary residence will remain here at the Estate for our own tastes to be given freer reign. The bedrooms do not need to be of lavish sizes to be of proper use when we are in the City. The excessively large single bedroom of the current place is wasted space that could be put to much better use," she says, that tone that suggests it isn't really an opinion if it's just objective truth. "I am still of Lordaeron, and the style suits me, but I have such a place here. In Stormwind City, practicality must win out against fashion."

"So a smaller, joint master suite," Merelda nods, following Avrenne to the next room, "with no strong preference as to style. You would rather use the space on more public rooms, then? If your general purpose when in town is to conduct social or professional business?"

Yes, social business. Merelda knows how the aristocracy works.

"That is its primary purpose, yes," Avrenne says, as she opens the door to the next room, Siamus' bedroom. The contrast of the two spaces could not be higher — this room is dark, masculine, and spartan. Again, there is the oddity of what appears to be a painting covered by a cloth. Maybe it's a Fallon thing? Who knows. "It is meant as a convenience for its location within Stormwind City, as it is where a majority of my business and social needs are, and it is where the Vice Admiral has his duties with the House of Nobles and the seat of the Stormwind Admiralty. But it is not where we will entertain on a large scale, you understand. We have such much better suited places here at the house; there is no call for a ballroom or a ridiculously oversized parlor in the townhouse. Offices, receiving rooms, proper dining areas, sufficient bedrooms — these are our primary needs."

Once more the alloted time to peruse the room is relatively brief, as Avrenne waits by the door to guide on.

Merelda frowns as she notes the room, perhaps already wondering how to best combine the disparate tastes. Again, her gaze lingers on the covered portrait.

"Understood," Merelda says. "Multiple and varied spaces for different needs in business with small groups, no need for large social gatherings."

She moves to the door, ready to see more.

---

Flower Code

• Gladiolus: Generosity
• Orange Pansy: Optimism.