Stables, midwinter

[fiery_ring]

It's winter, but there is a roaring fire in the log cabin when Carlotta brings Teja back.

Will has made improvements to the cabin over the summer, it now boasting three bedrooms - theirs, Molly's, and a guest room. The indoor plumbing has been connected, bathroom and all, and it's generally looking very homely.

At the moment, the circus folk spending winter with them have gone out, apart from Fred who is dozing by the fire with Wolf.

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"This looks very homely," Teja says. "Warmand comfortable. Things are better now?"

[fiery_ring]

"Better than they have been." Carlotta says, smiling.

She knows it will take Will a while to get back to his old self, if he ever manages it, but they manage by keeping him busy.

[ostro_goth]

"Not yet quite good?" Teja asks.

[fiery_ring]

"I don't suppose things ever get perfect." Carlotta says. "There's no such thing as a happy ever after. Once you got there, you would be bored."

Molly, who turned two a couple of months ago, runs in, runs up to a wall, and puts her hands down on the floor - she uses them to balance on her hands.

"Ta-da!"

"Good, Molly!"

[ostro_goth]

"Hello, Molly!" Teja says. "I brought you something from Pyrrha, that she made for you, as a late Christmas present."

He takes a wrapped package out from underneath his cloak.

[fiery_ring]

Molly turns the right way over and races to him.

"Thank you." she says politely, ripping at the paper.

"Oh, that reminds me, I need to get yours." Carlotta says, going into the bedroom, and coming back with a package.

Inside are some embroidered cushion covers, one bearing a cat and another bearing a fox, for the couple's eventual new home together.

[ostro_goth]

Inside's Molly's package, there is a Coraline sweater, but as a cardigan, and with yellow stars instead of silvery, in just the right size for Molly now, but with enough width to last a year or two.

Teja takes his package, but doesn't open it yet; instead, he watches Molly's reaction.

[fiery_ring]

"Oh that's so sweet!" Carlotta grins. "It'll go nicely when she's on the road."

"Sparky!" Molly twinkles the stars with her hand.

[ostro_goth]

"Yes, sparkly," Teja says. "Pyrrha made it, my betrothed. She makes wonderful things."

[fiery_ring]

"Open yours?" Carlotta says, grinning.

"She's very clever, how did she do the stars without them fraying?"

[ostro_goth]

"I have no idea," Teja says. "Why should they be difficult?"

He opens his package.

"These are very nicely made!"

[fiery_ring]

"Thank you sir. Long winter evenings, and all that."

She helps Molly on with her jumper.

"How is Pyrrha? And Egil?"

[ostro_goth]

"Egil eats things by himself already," Teja says. "And Pyrrha teaches me about many new things I never heard of -- dangerously hot peppers, video games, and the like."

[fiery_ring]

"I don't think a hot pepper is that dangerous." Carlotta laughs. "Though we are talking about Milliways."

[ostro_goth]

"Very dangerous," Teja says. "They contain an oil that will burn painfully upon one's skin when one has cut these these things, and one's innard when one ate them. I would not go into details; they are unsavoury."

[fiery_ring]

"It does not sound like a good thing to eat." Carlotta agrees.

[ostro_goth]

"I shall not try," Teja says. "I value all parts of me, inside and out, unharmed by violent food."

Now, fighting is something else entirely, of course.

[fiery_ring]

"Never trusted foreign food." Fred comments, from his half asleep position by the fire. "Not without letting the dog have a sniff anyway."

Carlotta smirks. "You would like Spanish food well enough."

[ostro_goth]

Teja looks at the gifts he was given, as he is not sure that he was meant by that comment.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta figures both of them would like Spanish food, but for now:

"Fancy some tea?" She asks Teja.

[ostro_goth]

"Yes, please," Teja says. "I like the way you make tea in England."

[fiery_ring]

"In the teapot." Molly says.

[ostro_goth]

"Strong, and with milk," Teja says.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta puts the kettle on in the fireplace.

"It's a good job we take Molly over often to Will's parents' house, otherwise she'd be growing up without electricity." she ponders, with a chuckle.