Re: Svarik and the company II

[VisAnastasis]

" It's too late!" Tide exclaimed, snickering with delight. " Add all the apologises you like, but once you have burned someone, you can not unburn them, ha, you shameless lover! "

[Mirach]

Senecio nodded to that, thoughtful for a moment. "But at least we can eat them," he then smiled again, and offered one to Tide after it cooled a bit.

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes, we can. Skin is rougher now, but inside is still soft. " Tide retorted more gently with a smile, seeing Senecio's thoughtfulness. He took it, and to demonstrate it, he places it under his mask and bit into it freely, despite the charred bits, as if to show him that it's fine to him, even if it's been baking little too long and taking was overdue.

[Mirach]

Senecio chuckled with that. "You are supposed to eat only the inside, you know..." he said, and to show how, he broke his potato in half and started eating it out like from a bowl.

[VisAnastasis]

" Me and fire are on friendly terms. " he said. " I like the skin. It's full of embers and dust. It's like eating a warm slice of Mother Earth that is tasty and mushy on inside. I always eat potatoes like this. " he proclaimed, seeming pleased with himself, but also suddenly dubious of himself - nobody ever really from his friends seemed to tell him his way of eating is wrong, just letting him do stuff as he liked. " Um... I don't really think there is label on food, saying how it's supposed to be eaten, at least, it wasn't so in my time. It was primordial time, though. If you would eat something, and it is pleasant for you and doesn't make you sick, you just eat it as you want to. "

[Mirach]

"There is no label," Senecio assured him. "You can eat it as you like, I just didn't know if you really like it that way or if you didn't have baked potatoes before. Most people don't like eating embers and dust..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Oh... It's alright then.  One of the tiny little demons that used to make me was a fire demon. Volcano was her home. Embers and dust are warm and homey to me. " Tide said with some relief, and he continued eating the potato with skin and all, as he liked best. " It could use a little salt, though, of course. " he added, and over top of the charred potato, he poured a spoonful of salt. " I like sea, too. Sea feels homey, too. " he explained, as he continued eating the treat.

[Mirach]

Senecio also took some salt and butter for the potato, taking time to enjoy his favourite meal.

[VisAnastasis]

Tide was eating more sparingly, leaving Senecio more potatoes to enjoy. More often than not, he was glancing at actor thoughtfully, when he'd think he's not glancing back.
" I can warm things in my hands. " he stated then, a bit out of blue for someone not following his trait of thoughts. " We could bring some raw potatoes too, for the trip, if you want. " he offered. " I never really cooked potatoes, as I mostly use my power to make teas, but if it takes twenty minutes to bake them, I should be able to do it. We can make them when we take brake on an island, before returning here, underneath starlit sky. Stars in third layer of world are specially intense, I would want to take brake to rest there, anyway. "

[Mirach]

"That sounds good," Senecio agreed. "We could take some tea as well, if you can make it. Seems like a useful ability..."

[VisAnastasis]

" It's not something I even thought would be much useful in day to day life -  I mostly used it to warm people when they are cold. Hans used to be very tiny frail Spirit in his youth, and when there were ages of ice, he would get very faint, so I always kept him close and warm. I was warming you, too, subtly, through touch of my cloak. Did it work? I think it did. You are not shivering anymore. " Tide smiled a little, as he stood up, to take basket to pack their things. " Cooking only came as option later. You would be surprised, but it's fairly recent invention. It's human one, actually. " he grinned. " Only humans are insane enough, to throw random bits of nature around them in the fire, just to see what happens. In primordial times, you just ate everything raw, unless it was struck by lightning or something. "

[Mirach]

"But I think you would agree that you can't call it "good old times" then, wouldn't you?" Senecio grinned. "I can't imagine eating everything raw..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Your race did once, though, before they discovered fire. It doesn't mean everything they ever did was meaningless, just because they didn't have our commodities. " Tide smile little at a notion. " Animals eat raw meat they catch too, and it doesn't mean they don't have time of their lives. I had, too. It was terribly dangerous time, but every time is dangerous, in its way. First, it way terribly lonely, a struggle for survival. My first eons of existence were filled with confusion and loneliness. I was but a child, in world's terms. I first needed to grow up, before I could conjure up something as complex, as desire to love myself, and then to love another as myself. " he just said simply, wanting to, like everything, answer truthfully. " But then.. I decided I had enough of survival. I decided to find someone. Fate was such, that I found Hans. I loved him and cared for him, and raised him to be a good critter, that in the end gave up all hopes for normal life, when he decided to become a refugee from Spirit world, just so he could stay by my side... " he shook his head fervently, his words filled with such sheer passion and warmth for his friend, that was a delight and thrill to listen to. " Those were good old times. It doesn't matter what you ate, when you had someone beloved to keep safe and look after. Those were wonderful times, and the short time of peace before war between Spirit and Demons, it was even sweeter. It was good old time. "

[Mirach]

"Then why are you still looking for love if you have him?" Senecio asked with confusion.

[VisAnastasis]

" Umh... That's a bit personal question. " Tide noted. " But it's not like it's not obvious answer, so... It's not that kind of love. He was my needy child, that grow to become by reliable brother. We are Spirit and Demon. We can not be together. We did not evolve to be together. We can't, um, become one, and for Hans, it is important part of relationship. " Tide shook his head, and sighed a little longingly. " Besides, Hans is not quite... What I want.. Romantically. He can be seductive when he wants, but I really like the simple sincere stuff, not planned ones. I want lot of romance. I want flowers. I want gifts. I want courting. I want dinner under candlelight with music, and I want chocolate treats. I have heard all love poems, and I have read all the corny books. I want it like that. I am just an old fashioned guy, that is all, okay? " he said shyly. " I want someone to be intimate with, and have kids with, you understand. I can not have kids with Hans, and even more so, he is poly-amorous - he likes to be with more people at a point, and I am not a good sharer. " he shook his head. " I am more of a, um, one person at a time. Me and Hans are close enough to understand we are not what each other needs, romantically.  "

[Mirach]

"Sorry if the question was too personal, I just wondered," Senecio said. "It's not like I would have to worry about impression and if it's proper to ask something. And I think you would like the play about Flinding and Gwendelyn..."

[VisAnastasis]

" It doesn't matter how much time you have left. A gentleman should be gentleman all until end. " Tide retorted. " I would be grateful if you were more mindful in your questions. I think we should go now. Sooner we leave, more time we can have brake on island. "

[Mirach]

"I've never been a gentleman, I just played being one..." Senecio said. "I would have waited until we know each other better and it's proper to ask, but I won't wait now to ask something that maybe could be too personal and maybe not. Just feel free to not reply. And you really should go to see Flinding and Gwendelyn.If you do, could you do something for me? Please tell the one playing Flinding - it will be probably that pathetic Carlos - that you know someone who could do it better, would you?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I don't like calling anyone pathetic... But it's simple enough request. If I live long enough to get to see that play, after I make sure the actor is named Carlos, I will tell him that I know someone who could do it better. " demon nodded slowly. " I will admit, it does sound like a request that will get me into some kind of embarrassing predicament, but if it means that much to you, it's simple enough thing to do. I will do it. "

[Mirach]

"I didn't mean pathetic in that sense, he's just using too much pathos in his roles. And it doesn't matter if it's him or someone else, just tell them you know someone better," he grinned. "So tell me again how do you want to sneak out..."

[VisAnastasis]

" To be honest, as I always do - but you'll have to cling on somehow this once. I just, like, jump out straight into the ocean, and let water greet me and slow down my descent until I reach the surface, softly, without a splash. But for you to survive such leap, I'd have to carry you, and then walk you on water to your boat. You can chose princess-style, or piggyback style ride, whichever sounds more convenient. You decide. Only until boat. " he said shyly, and as if trying to cover up the inconvenient subject, he added quickly. " By the way, do you perhaps play lute? I am being torn about if I should carry it or not. It's a new one, and I can't wait to try it out, but I only have one good hand. You only have one good hand as well. Maybe we could figure out how to play together, just a song or two. I like to hear some lute music when I come out to watch stars, but I admit I am inconvenienced right now, because of this pesky injury. I tried, and it hurts to play. "

[Mirach]

"I can play a lute. I don't know if I can play it like this, but maybe we will manage some simple song. And I can just hold on to you until I can with one good hand, and then we switch to you carrying me with one good hand until you can... and so on."

[VisAnastasis]

" I am a demon. I do not get tired,, and I am creature of unspeakable strength, vital for my survival in the world. Only pain lasts, but I feel no weariness or sleepiness. You are light like a feather to me, no more than you are to Erdel or Xia. " demon educated him gently. " I just don't want to lose you in a leap. It would be terribly embarrassing if you fell. I mean, you would not die - I'd change to some faster form to catch you... But we could be revealed as skippers, and my hand would hurt from catching you, and you would be bruises from being caught - it would be overall, very embarrassing and unpleasant for us both. " critter chuckled, while with some renewed excitement, he was packing up the beloved, beautiful black lute king bought for him, along with the food, drinks, and painkillers. " I am fine with whatever, as long as you can assure me you won't fall of till we reach boat. I have had enough of embarrassment for a while, I think. I seek something calmer, now. " he explained, and after some thought, he also packed couple of old looking books.

[Mirach]

"Fine, you can carry me then because I am not sure if I could hold on to you, I don't care which way."

[VisAnastasis]

" I guess...  since I carry lute and backpack on my back, my arms, um, have more space. " critter just concluded timidly after finishing packing, and it shyly invited Senecio to come to the window, that it opened more widely, toward the ocean.