One step closer
Chocolate #25. Inspiration
Rating : G
Timeframe : fall 1253
Rune settled on the edge of the bed, shaking his head as the soft mattress dipped under his weight. He eyed the open bags laid out on the floor at the foot of the bed and ran a hand over the back of his neck. It seemed odd that everything he owned should fit so easily into just a few sacks.
There was a knock at the door. “Yeah?” he called, and the door swung open. Masakari poked her head inside.
“I thought, perhaps you could use some assistance.” She must have taken his shrug for an invitation, or at least as a lack of refusal, because she stepped the rest of the way into the room. She cast a glance to the dresser. Rows of empty drawers hung open. The only one that was occupied was near the bottom, and that held the calico cat, who peered back at the new arrival curiously. Masakari’s brow furrowed as her gaze settled on the heap of belongings at which Rune was still staring. “You have yet to put away so much as a single item.”
He shrugged again. “Not sure where to start.”
“Well,” she said, taking hold of one of the bags. “Your clothes?”
His eyes fell to the sleeves of what Masakari had identified as ‘suitable attire‘, which failed horribly in their attempt to reach his wrists, before looking back to her. “The ones you wouldn’t let me bring?” he said.
Her expression soured. “Right,” she said, pulling what remained of his wardrobe from the bag she held. “We must get you to a tailor sometime.” Oblivious to Rune’s groan, she folded the garments and placed them in the top drawer. She closed that drawer and the one beneath it with a hollow thump. The cat shot her a distasteful look and hopped from her drawer to the floor. Masakari folded and set aside the first bag before turning to the rest. “What, then, is all this?”
“Supplies,” he said. “Medicine for the most part. Enough to last the winter at least. Seeds to replace that.”
“Oh. So what do you want to do with those?”
“There is a reason I haven’t put them away yet,” he said, sliding down off the bed. He dipped a hand into one of the bags and started unloading the jars wrapped in cloth that were bundled inside. “I suppose the dresser’s as good a place as any for now.”
Masakari reached into another of the bags, the cat following with her nose as she drew out another cloth wrapped jar. She loosed the wrapping and gave the thick brown roots inside a thoughtful look before stowing it in the drawer next to the ones Rune had already unpacked. One drawer soon filled with jars and they started on another.
“Are these medicines too?” asked Masakari, who had settled on the floor. She held up a jar of what looked to be yellow clay.
Rune smiled and shook his head. “Paints.” She raised a brow. “A gift,” he said, slipping the jar from her hands, “from a very grateful patient.”
Masakari pulled another from the bag as he set the first on the shelf. Blue dust sifted inside. She wrinkled her nose at the thing. “How are clay and powder paint?”
“They’re not,” he said, relieving her of that one as well. “Yet. Just pigment. You have to mix them first.”
“I rather like that one,” she said.
“It’s crushed stone,” said Rune. “Same thing they use in the Empire for dying silk. Not too easy to get your hands on here.”
She already had another in her hand. The powder, this time, was a ruddy orange. “Is this stone too?”
He nodded. “Vermilion. Another imperial treat.”
Her eyes fell to the cat, who was nosing through the other bags, as she handed it over. “It looks rather like her fur.”
A jar of greenish silt and another of something brown and slimy joined the collection atop the dresser.
“Not a bad name, I suppose.”
“Huh?” Rune saw she was still looking at the cat and the meaning dawned on him. He shrugged. “She answers to ‘cat’ just fine.” At the mention, the animal popped her head out of the sack she was currently investigating and mewed.
Masakari gave an exasperated sigh.
“Call her what you will,” said Rune. “It’s a bit of a mouthful if you ask me.”
She and the cat studied each other for a moment, and Masakari shrugged. “Alright then, Millie for short.” The cat climbed into her lap and curled up against her. Rune would have sworn the thing was grinning, if such a thing were possible.
He shook his head at the both of them. “Well, I suppose that’s decided.”
Rating : G
Timeframe : fall 1253
Rune settled on the edge of the bed, shaking his head as the soft mattress dipped under his weight. He eyed the open bags laid out on the floor at the foot of the bed and ran a hand over the back of his neck. It seemed odd that everything he owned should fit so easily into just a few sacks.
There was a knock at the door. “Yeah?” he called, and the door swung open. Masakari poked her head inside.
“I thought, perhaps you could use some assistance.” She must have taken his shrug for an invitation, or at least as a lack of refusal, because she stepped the rest of the way into the room. She cast a glance to the dresser. Rows of empty drawers hung open. The only one that was occupied was near the bottom, and that held the calico cat, who peered back at the new arrival curiously. Masakari’s brow furrowed as her gaze settled on the heap of belongings at which Rune was still staring. “You have yet to put away so much as a single item.”
He shrugged again. “Not sure where to start.”
“Well,” she said, taking hold of one of the bags. “Your clothes?”
His eyes fell to the sleeves of what Masakari had identified as ‘suitable attire‘, which failed horribly in their attempt to reach his wrists, before looking back to her. “The ones you wouldn’t let me bring?” he said.
Her expression soured. “Right,” she said, pulling what remained of his wardrobe from the bag she held. “We must get you to a tailor sometime.” Oblivious to Rune’s groan, she folded the garments and placed them in the top drawer. She closed that drawer and the one beneath it with a hollow thump. The cat shot her a distasteful look and hopped from her drawer to the floor. Masakari folded and set aside the first bag before turning to the rest. “What, then, is all this?”
“Supplies,” he said. “Medicine for the most part. Enough to last the winter at least. Seeds to replace that.”
“Oh. So what do you want to do with those?”
“There is a reason I haven’t put them away yet,” he said, sliding down off the bed. He dipped a hand into one of the bags and started unloading the jars wrapped in cloth that were bundled inside. “I suppose the dresser’s as good a place as any for now.”
Masakari reached into another of the bags, the cat following with her nose as she drew out another cloth wrapped jar. She loosed the wrapping and gave the thick brown roots inside a thoughtful look before stowing it in the drawer next to the ones Rune had already unpacked. One drawer soon filled with jars and they started on another.
“Are these medicines too?” asked Masakari, who had settled on the floor. She held up a jar of what looked to be yellow clay.
Rune smiled and shook his head. “Paints.” She raised a brow. “A gift,” he said, slipping the jar from her hands, “from a very grateful patient.”
Masakari pulled another from the bag as he set the first on the shelf. Blue dust sifted inside. She wrinkled her nose at the thing. “How are clay and powder paint?”
“They’re not,” he said, relieving her of that one as well. “Yet. Just pigment. You have to mix them first.”
“I rather like that one,” she said.
“It’s crushed stone,” said Rune. “Same thing they use in the Empire for dying silk. Not too easy to get your hands on here.”
She already had another in her hand. The powder, this time, was a ruddy orange. “Is this stone too?”
He nodded. “Vermilion. Another imperial treat.”
Her eyes fell to the cat, who was nosing through the other bags, as she handed it over. “It looks rather like her fur.”
A jar of greenish silt and another of something brown and slimy joined the collection atop the dresser.
“Not a bad name, I suppose.”
“Huh?” Rune saw she was still looking at the cat and the meaning dawned on him. He shrugged. “She answers to ‘cat’ just fine.” At the mention, the animal popped her head out of the sack she was currently investigating and mewed.
Masakari gave an exasperated sigh.
“Call her what you will,” said Rune. “It’s a bit of a mouthful if you ask me.”
She and the cat studied each other for a moment, and Masakari shrugged. “Alright then, Millie for short.” The cat climbed into her lap and curled up against her. Rune would have sworn the thing was grinning, if such a thing were possible.
He shook his head at the both of them. “Well, I suppose that’s decided.”