Flowershop Apartment

[Ivren Hargweth]

A small apartment over a flowershop not far from the park. There is a door next to the shop, opening into a small hallway with stairs going up. Once you get to the first floor there are three rooms and a small bathroom- a tiny kitchen, a small bedroom, and a livingroom with a view on the streets below. The bedroom and livingroom are separated by sliding doors.

The bedroom has two single beds against either wall, a closet for clothing, and a few posters on the wall. It looks out on the back of the flowershop- a small courtyard where the owner of the shop (and landlord of the apartment) usually lets his dog run free. It likes to bark a lot. There are thin blue curtains that barely keep the light out.

Like the rest of the apartment, the livingroom has tiles on the floor. There is a small rug (more like a slightly big mat) on the floor. Against one wall stands a high but not very wide bookcase with a lot of books, a small table with two wooden chairs, and a cupboard with plates and several drawers for whatever really. The table is usually littered with sheets of paper, closely scribbled upon, mostly musical notes, songs, stage directions and costume designs. Against the other wall is a greyish couch that will seat three people with some squeezing, and a green leather arm chair. In the centre of the room stands a low glass coffee table with several dirty mugs, a big tea pot, and a huge pink azalea. There is a rather large mirror over the couch to make the room look much bigger. There are maps, drawings, and scribbly notes all over the coffee table and the couch and the bookcase too.

[Ivren Hargweth]

Tinnu leads Armagor to the blue door next to the flowershop. She fishes in her pocket for a key.

This is it.

[Brightshield]

"I've always supposed that the owners must live here."

[Ivren Hargweth]

She shakes her head.

Nah, they moved out a while ago, they're letting it now.

After finding the key she turns it in the lock and with a little push the door opens into the hallway with the stairs.

Come in.

[Ivren Hargweth]

That didn't go according to plan. Did it.

Ivren Hargweth, lying on the couch between scribbly notes and a map or two, an empty wine glass in his hand, glances over at his sister. She is standing by the window, her bright blue eyes following the back of a man hurrying down the street. There are red rims under those eyes, but she does not turn to him to show them.

... no.

Ivren looks at the glass in his hand. He does not need to see her face to know. Finally... finally they met him. Their father.

What did you expect, really?

He is speaking to the glass rather than to her. She lowers her head and shrugs. For all of the interview- the talk- the conversation- whatever it was- all fifteen minutes of it... He didn't want to be there. He never wanted to be there. She does not answer. Ivren continues to speak in a defeated voice.

He's still the man that left your mother. He never cared about us, and he never will. He's not interested in our existence.

Tinnu shakes her head quietly, but she herself does not know whether she is affirming or denying her brother's words.

We have our own lives to lead. We are nothing to him, and he is nothing to us.

Ivren stands, and picks up the glass they gave Armagor. He did not even drink the wine. He didn't even touch it. Ivren stares at it for a while. Then he downs it in one swig.

We know. At least now we know. And that's that.

He takes Tinnu's empty glass, and heads for the kitchen. Without looking around, he halts in the door opening.

Maybe we should leave. Get out of here. Find our own way in life, rather than hanging around him and his family forever. It's not our family.

He walks into the kitchen and sets the glasses down on the sink. He stares down at them in silence. What had he been expecting? Had he really thought that his father would suddenly embrace them both? That Armagor Brightshield would acknowledge them as his children and mend his ways? No. No, he had not thought that. But maybe, deep down, he had hoped it.

Ivren raises his right hand and looks at it. The Brightshield blood flows through him. He has his father's eyes, and his father's urge to be free. Yes, he knows this. His father gave him his life, and for that, he thanks him. For everything else, all the crap, his father disgusts him.

Tinnu, she is more like Father even than Ivren, and the brother knows it. He knows how she has taken it, too. Badly. He should really be going back to the livingroom, but he hasn't the heart. Tinnu is a singer, like their father. She has his blood, his eyes, his voice- and his love for- love. If love it is. Ivren shakes his head.

Suddenly, he can hear footsteps in the livingroom, then the door slams shut. She's running. Ivren sighs and sinks down till he sits on the kitchenfloor. She'll be back. Tomorrow morning. He hides his face in his hands.