Maea
Oh, when the world is burning
For all her intelligence, Maea had never learned to hide her emotions. Suppress them, yes, but that was not the same thing. To someone who knew what they were doing she was an open book, easy to read and just as easy to manipulate, if they so desired. She knew herself well enough to understand that, but without the experience that built defenses against that sort of thing, all she knew to do was keep a distance to anyone who might try, to the point that everyone became a potential danger. She trusted Harper. If she didn't he wouldn't have been invited. It was just... hard, to actually let her guard down and not be overwhelmed by things most people could write off as a friendly gesture, or camaraderie.
Especially when she couldn't convince herself entirely that it was all it was meant to be.
"Alright. Thank you," she said, predictably glad for the simple task to distract herself with. Unpacking the containers, she pried open lids and peeked inside, eyes widening at the bounty she found within. It just kept giving too, until she wondered if there was a bottom at all to Harper's bag. Maybe it was one of those infinite ones that some mages could make, and somewhere deep within he had hired a chef that took orders once a day? If that was the case, she would pretend she didn't know.
"Oh, yeah, it might be... There was no wood left in the shed when we moved in, so all of it was cut fresh this summer." No wonder it wouldn't burn. "I thought it was the weather... the chimney stack isn't in the best condition, but it was too much work to get it fixed. Would have had to undo half the roof." It had been a cheap buy, this place. Affordable, if inconvenient; the seller would still be running cattle on the fields all around, and while they were guaranteed all the produce they could want, there had been a lot of work needed to make the place habitable.
As she went to fetch plates and set the table, Maea realized that she was smiling to herself. Humming under breath, pleased with having someone to talk to about such mundane things. Ophelia was lovely, but didn't care much for chimneys or the color of limewash on the walls. She came and went just like Maea, but the times they spent together in the house were wrapped in comfortable silence more often than not. This? This was nice in a different way.
"It looks amazing," she hummed dreamily, when Harper asked. Brightening as the rising flames began to warm the chimney and improved the draft, subsequently clearing the air within the room, the last remnants of her scowl vanished entirely. "Smells amazing too. I hope you are hungry because I'm not sure I can keep from drooling much longer. Where did you get all of this?" Even steak was on the menu, so rare she could smell the faint metallic odor of blood. That was beyond thoughtful, and far better than the toast and scrambled eggs she'd had planned for herself.
Especially when she couldn't convince herself entirely that it was all it was meant to be.
"Alright. Thank you," she said, predictably glad for the simple task to distract herself with. Unpacking the containers, she pried open lids and peeked inside, eyes widening at the bounty she found within. It just kept giving too, until she wondered if there was a bottom at all to Harper's bag. Maybe it was one of those infinite ones that some mages could make, and somewhere deep within he had hired a chef that took orders once a day? If that was the case, she would pretend she didn't know.
"Oh, yeah, it might be... There was no wood left in the shed when we moved in, so all of it was cut fresh this summer." No wonder it wouldn't burn. "I thought it was the weather... the chimney stack isn't in the best condition, but it was too much work to get it fixed. Would have had to undo half the roof." It had been a cheap buy, this place. Affordable, if inconvenient; the seller would still be running cattle on the fields all around, and while they were guaranteed all the produce they could want, there had been a lot of work needed to make the place habitable.
As she went to fetch plates and set the table, Maea realized that she was smiling to herself. Humming under breath, pleased with having someone to talk to about such mundane things. Ophelia was lovely, but didn't care much for chimneys or the color of limewash on the walls. She came and went just like Maea, but the times they spent together in the house were wrapped in comfortable silence more often than not. This? This was nice in a different way.
"It looks amazing," she hummed dreamily, when Harper asked. Brightening as the rising flames began to warm the chimney and improved the draft, subsequently clearing the air within the room, the last remnants of her scowl vanished entirely. "Smells amazing too. I hope you are hungry because I'm not sure I can keep from drooling much longer. Where did you get all of this?" Even steak was on the menu, so rare she could smell the faint metallic odor of blood. That was beyond thoughtful, and far better than the toast and scrambled eggs she'd had planned for herself.
Don't walk away
