forum Throw the Characters together (oxo) (open) (stalkers welcome)

Started March 14, 2023 by Deleted user

tune

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Kaysen handed her the rock, knowing that it was special without her having to say so out loud.
"Sure." He said, and watched as she walked out of the main room. Once she was gone from sight, he looked around with his eyes without moving.
A couple of chairs faced the fireplace with a coffee table in between. Nothing fancy, but adequate enough for a long sit-down. The kitchen seemed merged with the living room, but it was nothing more than a table for two and some cabinets for storage. Beyond the kitchen, off to the side, was a hallway where Sandra disappeared, so he assumed it was where her bedroom was located. A secondary door was also towards the back of the kitchen where the possibility of a porch was settled. Just near the front door, however, was another, closed entryway.
Curious, he went over to the door and opened it. Out wafted a pungent yet sweet aroma that filled the room. He walked in, slightly amazed. Kaysen knew the moment he walked into the house there was the slight, lingering smell of herbs that also seemed to stick to Sandra when he was near her. Now he knew why. Bottles with corks lined the shelves in the small room, and plants hung to dry were strung in bundles from the roof. Baskets were placed under the shelves as well, probably with more plants inside.
It's medicine, Kaysen thought, She's a healer

Sandra came back and stirred the pot on the stove. “Soup’s almost done,” she called. Kaysen poked his head out from the medicine room.
“Are you injured or anything?” She asked awkwardly. “I’ve got- well, that’s my medicine room.”

"I noticed," he replied, slightly groggy from the heavy perfume, "What kind of soup?" It smelled delicious, and he was hungry so he didn't particularly care.

“Potato and chicken,” she said. “That’s all I got. Want tea?”

Kaysen shrugged, "Sure." He glances around once more at the house before watching the girl work.
"Nice place you got here," he commented, "Cozy."

She tossed a few handfuls of herbs into the pot. “It works for us, for the most part. Margaret wants to open her own apothecary but right now we can only afford to run out of the house.” She frowned, not sure why she was telling him this. “What about you? What’s your home like?”

Kaysen was surprised she asked.
"I live in a castle," He replied automatically, "I'm not royalty or anything, the castle was abandoned. It wasn't in too bad shape when we arrived four years ago, but it's been refurbished since then. It was the only place big enough to house us during the war. Only a handful of us stayed, after the war; myself included."

“who’s we?” Sandra asked, intrigued. She dished up two bowls and mugs and brought them to the table. She took the chicken scraps to a tray in the corner where Basil sat patiently. “What war?”

Kaysen sat at the table and thanked her.
"Where I'm from," He explained, "There was a war that started in our history that lasted almost a hundred years. They ravaged most of our country, leaving a small bit for those who submitted to their rule. There were refugees, though. Me being one of them." He was careful not to explain too much.
He took a bite of the soup, and his insides warmed gratefully, "This is really good."

“I’m sorry to hear that.”
She nodded to his bowl. “Margaret’s recipe.” She paused. “So… what’s your plan?”

He thoughtfully chewed a mouthful of soup.
"Don't know," he replied at last, "With no one who knows how to do magic in this world, I guess I'll have to wait for… something to take me back. Maybe one day I'll wake up and I'll be back home." He shrugged, stirring the soup absentmindedly. "Until then, I have no idea."

“Well you can’t stay at the inn, you’ll stick out and people don’t exactly take well to strangers here.”
She thought for a second. “There’s an abandoned barn about 20 minutes out by foot. You could stay there, probably.”

"Yeah…" Kaysen didn't like that plan, but what other choice did he have?
"I guess I'll do that." He concluded, "The only issue is I still need food and stuff. And the only way to get that is in town."

“I could probably bring you stuff,” Sandra said. “But only if you agree to stay away from my house. If my mentor sees you, she’ll freak out. I’ll show you the barn and get you some supplies.” She offered a hand. “Deal?”

Kaysen regarded the offer for a moment before shaking Sandra's outstretched hand and giving it a firm shake.
"Deal."

She grabbed their spare blanket and headed for the door. “Margaret won’t be home until tomorrow so you can stay here tonight.” She led him to the back, where they kept the hay. “It’s clean, don’t worry. But you’re not sleeping inside. I’ll take you to the barn tomorrow, it’ll be too dark soon.”
She tried for a sympathetic look. “This is the best I can do tonight.”

Kaysen smiled at her hospitality.
"It's fine," he said and took the blanket when she handed it to him, "Thank you."