Slumber Time

Amit smiled before heading back to the living room “So Kimber, how long have you been here and what was your homeworld like?”

So of course Piritta had to poke at the roots, trying to figure out what they were keeping out.

The roots would merely slap Piritta’s hands away.

“Leave it,” Colt said in a stern voice to the Finn.

As for Kimber, she looked at Amit. “I’ve been here for a few years now.” She admitted and pushed back her long hair. “My homeworld was called Guastea, a place full of sentient plantlife and such. That’s why the flowers aren’t a shock to me. This place seems to have a lot of magic and oddities of its own.” With a shrug, she found a comfortable spot to sit, her favorite lounge chair. “What’s Earth like?”

“Hei.” Piritta scowled at the roots. “Mistä saan kirveen?” She growled.

“Earth has a lot of beautiful locations: mountains, deserts, vast forest, jungles, anything you can really think of when it comes to environments” he explained “perhaps if we ever figure a way off this planet maybe we can visit each other's homeworlds.”

“Get out!” Kimber ordered Piritta and pushed both her and Colt out of the green room. Once everyone was out, she closed and slammed the door shut. “I don’t want to see anyone else in there. Got it?!” She sighed and got Ami to repeat his words, listening patiently. “Hm…I’m not sure how to respond to that right now. Let's all just get some rest. I can show you your spare rooms.”

Piritta looked disappointed, like a kid whose parents were too cheap to splurge on a Happy Meal at McDonalds. But she obediently let Kimber show her a spare room. It did not look as exciting as whatever was behind the root door, but she leaped into the bed like that scene in Anne of Green Gables.

Amit followed her to his room “thank you for everything so far I don't know how I can repay you for your kindness.”

“Stay alive,” Kimber told him before heading to her room.

***

There would be a few little bugs here and there for Mee to get.

“Mee doesn’t like anything water based, sorry.” Klaire explained and went to a cabinet. Grabbing a jar, she spilled a few of the contents into a small bowl, setting that on the floor for the little lizard-like creature. They were treats she knew Mee liked. “I’m less worried about the cold and more worried about [b]themp/b].”

Mee pounced on the bugs like a cat, killing the bugs and collecting them in a little pile next to the small bowl of treats. Finally satisfied with the amount of fresh ‘game’ he had hunted, he chose the smallest bug from the pile, wrapped the end of his forked tail around it so he could use all four paws to climb back up on the table. He set the tiny bug next to Klaire’s bowl of stew, obviously an offering to the dog-eared woman. A very small offering. He scampered back to the floor and his dinner, eating happily.

“If you'd like I can put a magical barrier around the house.” The dark elf offered while eating. “I'd rather not fight whatever they are as well but worst case scenario I think the two of us can put up a good fight.”

“Magical barriers won’t stop them.” Klaire retorted sternly. “I’ve had other visitors try. It only attracts them further, so it’s best we just rest tonight and worry about things tomorrow. Right Mee?”

Mee crunched on a bug and looked up at Klaire, bobbing his head in the affirmative. He sternly pointed a tiny finger at Klaire. “Eat your bug!”

Altus nodded before eating more of his stew. “So what's your world like?”

“I don’t eat bugs. You know this.” She warned Mee, reminding the creature of who was really in charge in this cabin. “Eat and get some rest. We’ve got to head for the city tomorrow.” Looking at Atlus, she frowned. “I don’t want to talk about that hell hole.”

Once she was done eating, Klaire went to a closet and grabbed a few blankets and some pillows. She put them aside for the dark elf and went to her corner of the room. Shuffling a few of her own blankets about, she made sure Mee had their usual spot of comfort available before lying down and trying to get some sleep.

They needed to rest in order to prepare for the morning.

Mee frowned, it looked like he would have to drop some bugs in Klaire’s mouth while she slept again. He did not know how Klaire ever expected to ever have any eggs without eating eggy bugs. He snatched the rejected bug from the table and curled up with it in his little bed.

Altus got up and gathered the dishes before taking them towards the kitchen. He doubted he'd get anything else in the way of conversation out of Klaire tonight. Whatever had happened on her home planet left her scarred deeply he doubted she would open up anytime soon considering he was basically a stranger to her. Still that does not mean he would give up. He felt a kinship with her, perhaps even the start of something more.He did find her attractive.

Not wanting to be caught staring he focused on the task at hand muttering the right incantations and channeling mana. A brief light flashed over the dishes and in an instant they were cleaned. Gathering the pillow and blankets she set aside for him, the dark elf made comfortable in his own spot in the room as a loud storm could be heard outside. Closing his eyes he soon found himself drifting off to sleep. Soon dreams of a familiar dog eared girl snuggling up next to him embraced his mind.

During her sleep, Klaire kept curled up into a tight ball, hidden beneath her blankets…