forum I summon thee @Young-Dusty

Started May 08, 2019 by @amber_is_in_a_loop

tune

After a considering pause, Charlotte held out her hand. "Call me Charlotte. I've got a couple rooms upstairs."

Rick brightened and gave her hand a grateful shake. "Thank-you very much, Miss Charlotte!, I truly appreciate it. Sure is a nice place you got here–is it really all yours? Not many people live alone in these parts, 'least not to my knowledge."

Charlotte nodded. "Just me," she said simply. "I run this farm occasionally hostel," she continued on a slightly lighter tone.

She led Rick into the main room, where the table still stood laden with fresh vegetables, a thin sponge and a bowl of water.

"I see." Rick stepped inside, having to duck his head slightly to get through the door. "And is this area pretty pleasant to live in, then? Seems isolated enough, anyway. Do you have bandits this far west?"

(His reason to travel? Well he's a mercenary so he can only find work so many places, and I think Charlotte was gonna ask him to go with her her once she found out about her "kids" being in danger)

(Right okay. Does she find out he's a mercenary, or does she just ask him for help under another pretense?)

"I see." Rick stepped inside, having to duck his head slightly to get through the door. "And is this area pretty pleasant to live in, then? Seems isolated enough, anyway. Do you have bandits this far west?"

Charlotte paused before answering. Were all of these questions purely curiosity? Determined to maintain her guard up, she piled the vegetables onto the far counter and cleared the table, with a wave indicating to Rick to take a seat.
"Pleasant is maybe not the right word, but I get by. Besides, I enjoy solitude."

(Hmm, Maybe she tells him what's going on, and he admits his profession and offers to help?)

(We shall see)

(k)
Rick nodded in understanding, setting down his backpack and sitting down with a grateful sigh. "Solitude's nice sometimes, I s'pose. Not really something I'd choose for myself, if I had my 'druthers, but to each their own." He shrugged his coat onto the back of the chair and started unlacing his boots, which were soaked through. "I promise I won't bother you with my company for long, just until the weather looks clear again. If there's any way I can repay your hospitality, you just say the word."

"Count on it." Charlotte started busying herself with the kitchen, sliding the precautionary knife onto the counter an inch away from her hand. "Would you like anything to warm you up? Food or drink?" she offered kindly, acting the hostess.

(oof I'm about to leave for a couple hours, seeya later ^^; )
"Oh, well thank-you, but only if you have enough to spare. I wouldn't want to steal what you can't truly give me." Still, he couldn't quite hide the way his eyes lit up at the mention of food.

(bye :)
Charlotte noted the change of expression. This guy might not be so bad…
"It's no problem," she assured. "What can I get you? We've got a range of teas, coffees, fruits and vegetables, some bread, butter, eggs, nuts, might be some biscuits somewhere?"

Rick looked delighted. "Well, gosh! All that, really? You must get a lot of traders passin' through here, to have such a variety! I'll take some bread and butter, if that's all right."

(I… I really like Rick? Like I want to hug him. He's the sweetest mercenary)
Charlotte nodded, grabbing the necessary from the pantry. "You caught me at a good time. I got back from town 2 and a half weeks ago," she explained, throwing a slice of buttered bread into a pan.
She pulled out a thin ceramic plate and placed it in front of Rick with a glass of water. "There you go."

(awwww thanks! XDD He really is a plain good dude lol)
"Thank-you," he said. "I see, so there's a town nearby? It doesn't happen to have a post office or somethin', does it? Somebody gave me a letter not too long ago, and I've been tryin' to figure out how to deliver it. They said the recipient lived somewhere out here."

Charlotte arched an eyebrow, taking a seat across from Rick. "The town's a good two days away, which is why I stock up when I go."
She paused, mulling over the rest of Rick's sentence. "I'm the only one here for a good 30 miles, you know."

He tilted his head. "Hm…that so?" Turning, he pulled his backpack closer and rummaged through it, pulling out a book wrapped in leather and tied shut with a string. He set it on the table and opened it up, pulling out a letter. "I admit I can't read the address on this thing, handwriting's pretty cramped. Why don't you take a look, maybe you know the person it's for–or the person it's from, I guess, that name's there too." He slid the letter across the table to her.

(oof stupid question sorry)
Charlotte cautiously picked it up and read over the address. "That's me, alright."
There was something strangely familiar about the handwriting; she looked over at the name.
Silence. Then, coldly. "What did he say?" she demanded, staring at the letter in her hand.

(Oh no it's okay! I didn't make it very clear X'D)
Rick blinked. "Uh…you mean the guy who gave it to me? Well, not much…..just that it was important. Maybe it ain't my place to say, but he seemed like kind of a shady feller. I hope I haven't been the bearer of bad news without realizing it….?"

Charlotte exhaled sharply. "That all depends on him."
Only then did she realize her hands were shaking. She stood and turned her back to Rick, letter in hand. She needed to open our, but was just as equally terrified of knowing what he wanted.
They hadn't talked in over 3 years.