Wanted: Flatmate to help with rent. Cheap rent. Must be able to cover the full month's rent, will be only asked for half. Will be given the master bedroom with connecting bath. Must be willing to share cleaning and similar chores. Quiet neighborhood. No credit needed, no background checks required, proof of employment appreciated. If interested, please contact this phone number:
Two weeks. Two weeks he'd had the ad in the paper, and he was starting to get nervous. Rent was coming due in the coming week, and, quite frankly, he didn't have it. He had part of it, but not all of it, and the landlord had made it quite clear he was getting very tired of partial payments. It was getting to the point where he might actually visit the apartment, and Elk really prefered to keep the landlord as far as way as possible, the only sentiment the two seemed to share. But! Someone had answered! They were coming for an interview this morning! If all went well, they might move in the same day. That would solve a lot of problems all in one.
Elk paced through the living room and combined dining room. It was a surprisingly spacious area, considering the relatively cheap rent, but the scuffed flooring, obviously patched walls, and less than top-of-the-line appliances definitely brought down the value of the place. He had pictures hung up over the worst of the flaws in the walls, mostly thrift and second-hand shop finds that appealed to him, but there was no real cohesion between the pictures. One of them was even a picture of someone else's family. To be honest, that particular picture was actually covering a small hole he, himself, had accidentally put in the living room wall. He meant to patch it! Eventually. When he made the time. It was not a bad place, really, everything worked, it wasn't even drafty, just old, worn, and in need of new paint.
A brown and white scruffy dog of the pit bull persuasion came trotting over. He looked up at Elk with deep brown eyes and let out a little huff.
"Yes, Mug, everything is spotless," Elk assured him. "We're going to make a good impression on this person! Well, I am. You are going to stay in my room again. Just in case."
The dog seemed to frown, the nubbins of what was left of his ears drawing in as his boxy face wrinkled. Then he sneezed.
"I know you don't like it, but it's for the best until we know what kind of person they are," Elk assured him. He gave the well-muscled body a pat and directed him toward the back of the house. "Now, you should get in your place. They should be here any second."
The dog sighed but trotted into one of the two back rooms and closed the door behind himself.
"Good boy!" Elk called after him. He took one more trip around. Everything was a little shabby, but clean and as tidy as he could manage. He hoped he got a new roommate soon just so he wouldn't have to keep this place so clean! He liked clean and tidy, but this constant in-depth cleaning was killing his knees and taking up way too much time he could be spending working on other projects.
Two weeks. Two weeks he'd had the ad in the paper, and he was starting to get nervous. Rent was coming due in the coming week, and, quite frankly, he didn't have it. He had part of it, but not all of it, and the landlord had made it quite clear he was getting very tired of partial payments. It was getting to the point where he might actually visit the apartment, and Elk really prefered to keep the landlord as far as way as possible, the only sentiment the two seemed to share. But! Someone had answered! They were coming for an interview this morning! If all went well, they might move in the same day. That would solve a lot of problems all in one.
Elk paced through the living room and combined dining room. It was a surprisingly spacious area, considering the relatively cheap rent, but the scuffed flooring, obviously patched walls, and less than top-of-the-line appliances definitely brought down the value of the place. He had pictures hung up over the worst of the flaws in the walls, mostly thrift and second-hand shop finds that appealed to him, but there was no real cohesion between the pictures. One of them was even a picture of someone else's family. To be honest, that particular picture was actually covering a small hole he, himself, had accidentally put in the living room wall. He meant to patch it! Eventually. When he made the time. It was not a bad place, really, everything worked, it wasn't even drafty, just old, worn, and in need of new paint.
A brown and white scruffy dog of the pit bull persuasion came trotting over. He looked up at Elk with deep brown eyes and let out a little huff.
"Yes, Mug, everything is spotless," Elk assured him. "We're going to make a good impression on this person! Well, I am. You are going to stay in my room again. Just in case."
The dog seemed to frown, the nubbins of what was left of his ears drawing in as his boxy face wrinkled. Then he sneezed.
"I know you don't like it, but it's for the best until we know what kind of person they are," Elk assured him. He gave the well-muscled body a pat and directed him toward the back of the house. "Now, you should get in your place. They should be here any second."
The dog sighed but trotted into one of the two back rooms and closed the door behind himself.
"Good boy!" Elk called after him. He took one more trip around. Everything was a little shabby, but clean and as tidy as he could manage. He hoped he got a new roommate soon just so he wouldn't have to keep this place so clean! He liked clean and tidy, but this constant in-depth cleaning was killing his knees and taking up way too much time he could be spending working on other projects.
The ad had stuck out to her as a little odd ‒ what was the idea with requiring a full month of rent but only asking half? ‒ but the rest of it, no credit, no background checks, had been the deciding factor for her in reaching out. It had been a man's voice at the other end of the line when she arranged the interview. She thought she'd heard a faint bark in the background during their call. If he had a dog, she hoped it wasn't a big one. Anna had always been a cat person.
The address she'd been given was in an area of the city that had seen better days. An old maple partially obscured the facade of the red brick building she was headed for. She could hear the faint hum of the highway somewhere to the west when she rang the bell for the 3rd floor apartment to the left. "It's uh, Anna? Winters," she said, the response too garbled by the entry phone for her to understand, but the door buzzed, and she was in.
The stairwell smelled of some sort of wildly industrial cleaning agent that made her nauseous, so she hurried upwards and was invited into the apartment that might become her new home by a gangly man with striking red hair and eyes to match. Hm. Contacts, or a wizard? Opting not to ask right away, she extended her hand to him with a polite smile.
"Hi, it was me on the phone. But you know that, um," she chuckled nervously, eyes darting around as she took off her shoes. A sofa arrangement next to the worn kitchen almost blocked the way further into the apartment. There were so many doors here; it made her more than a little curious about the rest of the layout.
"It's good to meet you ‒ the mailbox said Kinkaid?" The man's taste in art certainly wasn't the most cohesive, but no Kinkades, as far as she could tell ‒ a promising sign. "So, shoot. Tell me what you want to know about me ‒ and if I could have a tour, that'd be nice, too."
The address she'd been given was in an area of the city that had seen better days. An old maple partially obscured the facade of the red brick building she was headed for. She could hear the faint hum of the highway somewhere to the west when she rang the bell for the 3rd floor apartment to the left. "It's uh, Anna? Winters," she said, the response too garbled by the entry phone for her to understand, but the door buzzed, and she was in.
The stairwell smelled of some sort of wildly industrial cleaning agent that made her nauseous, so she hurried upwards and was invited into the apartment that might become her new home by a gangly man with striking red hair and eyes to match. Hm. Contacts, or a wizard? Opting not to ask right away, she extended her hand to him with a polite smile.
"Hi, it was me on the phone. But you know that, um," she chuckled nervously, eyes darting around as she took off her shoes. A sofa arrangement next to the worn kitchen almost blocked the way further into the apartment. There were so many doors here; it made her more than a little curious about the rest of the layout.
"It's good to meet you ‒ the mailbox said Kinkaid?" The man's taste in art certainly wasn't the most cohesive, but no Kinkades, as far as she could tell ‒ a promising sign. "So, shoot. Tell me what you want to know about me ‒ and if I could have a tour, that'd be nice, too."
Elk smiled and offered a hand to shake the woman's hand, bending just a little to do so more out of habit than any real need. At one inch over six foot, he was not abnormally tall by any means, but he was tall enough that a lot of people tended to feel a little disconcerted. This brown-eyed woman with the ghostly hair was tall enough she likely did not need to look too far up.
"Greetings! It is good to meet you, Ms. Winters," he said warmly. He brushed his red and white hair back and led her from the entryway and around the kitchen peninsula to the living room. "Elwin Kinkaid! But everyone calls me Elk. Thank you for answering my advertisement. Let me show you around, and then we can chat over a cup of tea."
He turned and gestured behind him. "The kitchen! It even has a pantry, but I don't really use it. The apartment next to us has mold, and no matter what I do, it keeps seeping through the wall into the pantry. A sad waste of perfectly good space. If you chose to stay here, cooking would be on whoever's hungry, mostly, I suppose. I am quite happy to share groceries and have a community pool of food resources, but we can figure out those details later.
"Living room. Not much to say about the living room. The furniture is old, but I promise it's clean! I do not watch television, so I do not even know if that old thing works, but if it does, you are welcome to use it whenever you like.
"Your bedroom would be there, that door off the living room. It has a massive closet and its own bathroom. Very swanky! The walls are in good shape, and the mattress is only two years old. I bought fresh sheets after the last... Not long ago." He did not say it out loud, but he had two reasons for offering the nicest room to whoever chose to room with him. One, it was the least he could do considering the inconvenience he knew they were bound to experience. Two, he liked having his office separate, but not too far from his room. "We are technically not supposed to paint, but as long as you put it back to dingy white before you leave, no one will care if you do."
He turned and walked through the living room. "Water heater here, as well as the main water line shut off. Second bathroom right there. Two more bedrooms. That one is mine, and I've been using the other one as my... office." An odd, faintly purple light gleamed at the base of the "office" door, and the faint smell of cherries drifted through, so faint one could think it was their imagination. "I generally work from home, but I have a lot of meetings and things out of the house, too. I have no real schedule. I'm up at all odd hours, I'm in, I'm out, who knows?" He gave her a bright smile. "But I promise to do my best to not wake you when you are asleep. Oh! Yes! Here, the best part!"
He turned and led Anna back into the supposed dining area that was basically an extra-wide hallway. He did not have it set up as a dining area, choosing instead to leave it empty with a big rug of indeterminate pattern. He gestured dramatically to the wide, glass sliding door leading out to a patio just big enough for a small outdoor table, one chair that had seen better days, and a hanging egg chair in shockingly good shape. The view from the patio wasn't much. The building next door was only two stories tall, meaning they could see over it, but the next building was five stories tall, blocking off a straight view over the city.
"If you sit there," Elk said, pointing to the egg chair, "you can see around the building and get a semi-decent view of the city, and, most importantly, there's sky and sunlight!" He looked up and smiled, closing his eyes briefly. Then he turned and walked back to the kitchen. "Any questions so far? First, what tea would you like? I have a wide selection." He opened a cupboard and stepped aside to let Anna see it was over half full of tea, both bagged and loose-leaf. "I'll get the water heating while you pick." He bustled about getting the kettle and a teapot ready.
"Greetings! It is good to meet you, Ms. Winters," he said warmly. He brushed his red and white hair back and led her from the entryway and around the kitchen peninsula to the living room. "Elwin Kinkaid! But everyone calls me Elk. Thank you for answering my advertisement. Let me show you around, and then we can chat over a cup of tea."
He turned and gestured behind him. "The kitchen! It even has a pantry, but I don't really use it. The apartment next to us has mold, and no matter what I do, it keeps seeping through the wall into the pantry. A sad waste of perfectly good space. If you chose to stay here, cooking would be on whoever's hungry, mostly, I suppose. I am quite happy to share groceries and have a community pool of food resources, but we can figure out those details later.
"Living room. Not much to say about the living room. The furniture is old, but I promise it's clean! I do not watch television, so I do not even know if that old thing works, but if it does, you are welcome to use it whenever you like.
"Your bedroom would be there, that door off the living room. It has a massive closet and its own bathroom. Very swanky! The walls are in good shape, and the mattress is only two years old. I bought fresh sheets after the last... Not long ago." He did not say it out loud, but he had two reasons for offering the nicest room to whoever chose to room with him. One, it was the least he could do considering the inconvenience he knew they were bound to experience. Two, he liked having his office separate, but not too far from his room. "We are technically not supposed to paint, but as long as you put it back to dingy white before you leave, no one will care if you do."
He turned and walked through the living room. "Water heater here, as well as the main water line shut off. Second bathroom right there. Two more bedrooms. That one is mine, and I've been using the other one as my... office." An odd, faintly purple light gleamed at the base of the "office" door, and the faint smell of cherries drifted through, so faint one could think it was their imagination. "I generally work from home, but I have a lot of meetings and things out of the house, too. I have no real schedule. I'm up at all odd hours, I'm in, I'm out, who knows?" He gave her a bright smile. "But I promise to do my best to not wake you when you are asleep. Oh! Yes! Here, the best part!"
He turned and led Anna back into the supposed dining area that was basically an extra-wide hallway. He did not have it set up as a dining area, choosing instead to leave it empty with a big rug of indeterminate pattern. He gestured dramatically to the wide, glass sliding door leading out to a patio just big enough for a small outdoor table, one chair that had seen better days, and a hanging egg chair in shockingly good shape. The view from the patio wasn't much. The building next door was only two stories tall, meaning they could see over it, but the next building was five stories tall, blocking off a straight view over the city.
"If you sit there," Elk said, pointing to the egg chair, "you can see around the building and get a semi-decent view of the city, and, most importantly, there's sky and sunlight!" He looked up and smiled, closing his eyes briefly. Then he turned and walked back to the kitchen. "Any questions so far? First, what tea would you like? I have a wide selection." He opened a cupboard and stepped aside to let Anna see it was over half full of tea, both bagged and loose-leaf. "I'll get the water heating while you pick." He bustled about getting the kettle and a teapot ready.
"Elk, then. Excellent nickname."
The mold? Unfortunate, but it seemed they could keep it under control, if they were careful. Sharing groceries? How lovely, she was all for that. The sheets? She'd be bringing her own, thank you though. The patio view, so lovely. The "office"? Does he make lava lamps, or something? Or stream? Is there some sort of crazy gaming setup in there? "You work from home, then I take it? So do I. I only really need a writing desk, though, I think I'll be able to squeeze mine into the room you're offering. It's quiet, promise, I'm an online business owner, you won't need to listen to me yapping in meetings all day," she said, searching for and locating a bag of white peach tea.
She blew the steam away as she took a place on one of the bar stools that stood in the kitchen. The mug filled her hands with a comforting warmth. Anna took another look around. I could see myself making pancakes here. Elk had really obviously made an effort to make the place look nice ‒ with the emphasis he was putting on assuring her that everything was clean and neat and in just fine condition, she got the feeling that either he or the apartment was usually a hard sell. Anna prided herself on her solid intuition, but she couldn't think of anything that really stood out to her as outright suspicious. More ‒ nervous. Uncertain. Well. There was the whole "no background checks" thing in the ad. But considering that that's one of the reasons I called him, isn't it just a tad hypocritical of me to count that as a point against him?
"It's a lovely place you have. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. I just need to ask one small thing, really." She hesitated.
"Do you have a dog, by any chance?"
The mold? Unfortunate, but it seemed they could keep it under control, if they were careful. Sharing groceries? How lovely, she was all for that. The sheets? She'd be bringing her own, thank you though. The patio view, so lovely. The "office"? Does he make lava lamps, or something? Or stream? Is there some sort of crazy gaming setup in there? "You work from home, then I take it? So do I. I only really need a writing desk, though, I think I'll be able to squeeze mine into the room you're offering. It's quiet, promise, I'm an online business owner, you won't need to listen to me yapping in meetings all day," she said, searching for and locating a bag of white peach tea.
She blew the steam away as she took a place on one of the bar stools that stood in the kitchen. The mug filled her hands with a comforting warmth. Anna took another look around. I could see myself making pancakes here. Elk had really obviously made an effort to make the place look nice ‒ with the emphasis he was putting on assuring her that everything was clean and neat and in just fine condition, she got the feeling that either he or the apartment was usually a hard sell. Anna prided herself on her solid intuition, but she couldn't think of anything that really stood out to her as outright suspicious. More ‒ nervous. Uncertain. Well. There was the whole "no background checks" thing in the ad. But considering that that's one of the reasons I called him, isn't it just a tad hypocritical of me to count that as a point against him?
"It's a lovely place you have. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. I just need to ask one small thing, really." She hesitated.
"Do you have a dog, by any chance?"
Elk paused. Why would she ask that? He pushed down the niggle of panic. She didn't even live here yet. Even if she thought to complain, it wouldn't have much weight. Right? He cleared his throat. "A dog? Technically, the apartment complex does not allow pets. There are no exact rules, so I believe a couple of people have things like fish and maybe a rodent or two. Why do you ask?"
"Technically, in the same way we're technically not supposed to paint the walls?" We. Already she was talking as if she had some sort of ownership of the place. She caught Elk's eye, smiling reassuringly.
"I'm not the type to tattle on people for doing things that don't harm anyone. I just thought I heard barking when we first chatted on the phone is all. I am ‒ not a dog person," she continued, deciding that they were far better served with the truth up front. "But as long as it's not like, an Irish Wolfhound or of similar size, I'll manage. And hey, if you do have a dog, I must say, it's been exceptionally quiet and polite these past fifteen minutes."
"I'm not the type to tattle on people for doing things that don't harm anyone. I just thought I heard barking when we first chatted on the phone is all. I am ‒ not a dog person," she continued, deciding that they were far better served with the truth up front. "But as long as it's not like, an Irish Wolfhound or of similar size, I'll manage. And hey, if you do have a dog, I must say, it's been exceptionally quiet and polite these past fifteen minutes."
Elk closed his eyes briefly as he remembered. Mug was normally the quietest, most well-mannered dog anyone could ask for. He rarely barked. Yet, for some undetermined reason, he'd chosen while Elk was on the phone to let out a woof of discontent at the window. Elk had been certain she hadn't heard it, but apparently, she had. Curses.
He opened his eyes and smiled sheepishly at Anna. "Well, yes, I do have a dog," he admitted. "He's a very good boy and mostly keeps to himself, but he does live here." He stepped out of the kitchen and went around to his room. He opened the door enough for Mug to come out and led him back to Anna. "Ms. Bartholomew, this is Mug. Mug, this is Anna Bartholomew."
The heavily built dog's head reached just barely to the bottom of Elk's thigh, and when he sat to look at Anna, his broad chest and slightly outturned legs gave him the look of a weightlifter. He was about half and half dark brown and white, but his white was speckled with brown, giving him the appearance of having run through the mud at full speed. He looked up at Anna with deep brown eyes, clearly judging whether or not he liked her.
He opened his eyes and smiled sheepishly at Anna. "Well, yes, I do have a dog," he admitted. "He's a very good boy and mostly keeps to himself, but he does live here." He stepped out of the kitchen and went around to his room. He opened the door enough for Mug to come out and led him back to Anna. "Ms. Bartholomew, this is Mug. Mug, this is Anna Bartholomew."
The heavily built dog's head reached just barely to the bottom of Elk's thigh, and when he sat to look at Anna, his broad chest and slightly outturned legs gave him the look of a weightlifter. He was about half and half dark brown and white, but his white was speckled with brown, giving him the appearance of having run through the mud at full speed. He looked up at Anna with deep brown eyes, clearly judging whether or not he liked her.
Anna tried to smile at Elk when the dog trotted out, but she had a feeling it came across as more of a forced grimace. She'd really been hoping for more of a Pekingese-sized pet. Nevertheless, she pulled herself together ‒ this place is just right for me, I can't let a tiny little thing, like a huge dog, stop this from happening ‒ and held out her hand tentatively. "Mug? It suits him." The dog seemed less intimidating as he sniffed her gently trembling fingers.
"I ‒ if it's okay that I'm probably going to need a little while before I'm fully comfortable around him, I'd really like to move in here, Elk. It's just the right size, much closer to the post office than my other place, and I think we would be pretty good room mates. What do you say?"
"I ‒ if it's okay that I'm probably going to need a little while before I'm fully comfortable around him, I'd really like to move in here, Elk. It's just the right size, much closer to the post office than my other place, and I think we would be pretty good room mates. What do you say?"
Mug finished sniffing her hand and gave a good, long look. Then he half turned away, looking at nothing in particular, signaling he was bored with all of this but still sticking around because that was what good dogs did. This other person was not particularly interesting to him. At least, that was the vibe he gave off until one looked at his eyes and saw he was keeping one eye on the stranger, monitoring the situation.
Elk beamed, his smile broad and happy and more than a little relieved. "Welcome to our palace!" he said, spreading his hands wide. "I have no doubt we'll have a few rocky moments as we work out how to live with each other, but I am certain we will make a lovely couple!" He paused and quickly added, "Of roommates. Roommate couple. Yes." He cleared his throat. "Anyway! Do you happen to have the full amount needed for the rent this month? And when would you like to move in? Please, don't worry about Mug. He is a very good boy, and he knows not to go into your room unless invited. I keep that room nice and tidy when no one is in there. How about a nice dinner on move in day? Just tell me what you'd like, and I can do my best to make you something special once we've moved you in!" He chatted happily and gathered a few more details from her before she left.
Once the place was empty once more, he allowed himself a relived sigh and looked at Mug. "Just in time! You will have to be on your best manners, though. I did not expect someone who didn't like dogs."
Mug snorted and stood to walk into the kitchen, giving his bowl a significant look.
"What do you mean by that? I am always on my best manners!" Elk protested, following him.
Elk beamed, his smile broad and happy and more than a little relieved. "Welcome to our palace!" he said, spreading his hands wide. "I have no doubt we'll have a few rocky moments as we work out how to live with each other, but I am certain we will make a lovely couple!" He paused and quickly added, "Of roommates. Roommate couple. Yes." He cleared his throat. "Anyway! Do you happen to have the full amount needed for the rent this month? And when would you like to move in? Please, don't worry about Mug. He is a very good boy, and he knows not to go into your room unless invited. I keep that room nice and tidy when no one is in there. How about a nice dinner on move in day? Just tell me what you'd like, and I can do my best to make you something special once we've moved you in!" He chatted happily and gathered a few more details from her before she left.
Once the place was empty once more, he allowed himself a relived sigh and looked at Mug. "Just in time! You will have to be on your best manners, though. I did not expect someone who didn't like dogs."
Mug snorted and stood to walk into the kitchen, giving his bowl a significant look.
"What do you mean by that? I am always on my best manners!" Elk protested, following him.
"Oh if you're offering, I'll say chef's choice, but I do like Mediterranean food," she squeaked, excited and nervous at the same time. She hadn't lived with other people since ‒ since she'd been a teenager. What if she was too weird and set in her ways to move in with someone else now? Well ‒ too late for that! No take-backsies! You are going to move in with this man with an undefined occupation and his enormous pitbull and it's going to be so fine. Even if the dog is really really huge.
"Why in God's name haven't you thrown that thing out yet?"
Anna snatched the old calendar out of Simon's hands and stuffed it back into the towel-filled box he'd unearthed it from despite her best efforts to hide it.
"Mind your own business! If I'd known you were this nosy, I'd never have asked you to help me move."
"You knew full well I am this nosy, and you asked me because you are my darling sister, and you knew I'd never say no, because I love you."
"Please." Anna rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. "What you love is me owing you a favor."
Simon rolled his shoulders with an unbearably smug look. "Two things can be true at the same time."
They'd borrowed a car from one of Simon's friends. Anna didn't have that many things she didn't want to part with, but loading them into a car beat walking about a mile back and forth, one box at a time, by a long shot. There were all the boring things you needed for human body purposes: Clothes, toiletries, towels, and bedsheets; the more interesting things that you needed for the human experience: Books, the 1960s teak writing desk she'd inherited from her grandmother, and the avant garde painting her father had made for her; and then more boring things for her job: Her laptop, books on alchemy and sigilwork, the box of alleyman's cards, and a collection of tools that wouldn't look out of place in a chemistry lab. Anna bit her lip as she carefully wrapped the glassware in paper and surrounded them with T-shirts and balled up socks. Potion brewing would have to take a back seat for a while, at least until she figured out where Elk stood on that particular topic. She had no illusions that the landlord, Mr. Stevens, wouldn't come to investigate if a too-weird smell caused too many or too frequent complaints ‒ despite his obvious satisfaction at receiving three months of rent up front ‒ but the only way to avoid that entirely would be to buy a house of her own, and that simply wasn't a possibility in neither the near nor distant future. Or moving back home, which wasn't a possibility either, but for different reasons.
As the car pulled up in front of the red brick building that was soon to be her home, Anna felt a thrill in the pit of her stomach. Simon placed a hand on her arm before they got out of the car and handed her a small, hot pink packet. Anna snorted.
"Name brand dog treats? Simon..."
"You need to make friends with this guy," he said, looking quite serious, and she couldn't tell whether he meant the man or the dog. Two things can be true at the same time. She stuffed the treats into her the back pocket of her jeans.
"I'm going to try my best, you know. I have to live with him," she said, also not sure of who exactly she was thinking of. She had a feeling they were more of a package deal than she'd assumed upon their first meeting.
Simon barely had time to help her carry the desk up the stairs before he had to leave for work, so all Anna managed to facilitate in the way of introductions was a quick handshake, before Simon had to hurry out the door after giving her a quick peck on the cheek. She sighed, stretched, and went back down to bring up the boxes they had unloaded, and which were now sitting right in front of the building. The absence of a friend in the ongoing uprooting of her life made her feel awfully alone.
Anna snatched the old calendar out of Simon's hands and stuffed it back into the towel-filled box he'd unearthed it from despite her best efforts to hide it.
"Mind your own business! If I'd known you were this nosy, I'd never have asked you to help me move."
"You knew full well I am this nosy, and you asked me because you are my darling sister, and you knew I'd never say no, because I love you."
"Please." Anna rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. "What you love is me owing you a favor."
Simon rolled his shoulders with an unbearably smug look. "Two things can be true at the same time."
They'd borrowed a car from one of Simon's friends. Anna didn't have that many things she didn't want to part with, but loading them into a car beat walking about a mile back and forth, one box at a time, by a long shot. There were all the boring things you needed for human body purposes: Clothes, toiletries, towels, and bedsheets; the more interesting things that you needed for the human experience: Books, the 1960s teak writing desk she'd inherited from her grandmother, and the avant garde painting her father had made for her; and then more boring things for her job: Her laptop, books on alchemy and sigilwork, the box of alleyman's cards, and a collection of tools that wouldn't look out of place in a chemistry lab. Anna bit her lip as she carefully wrapped the glassware in paper and surrounded them with T-shirts and balled up socks. Potion brewing would have to take a back seat for a while, at least until she figured out where Elk stood on that particular topic. She had no illusions that the landlord, Mr. Stevens, wouldn't come to investigate if a too-weird smell caused too many or too frequent complaints ‒ despite his obvious satisfaction at receiving three months of rent up front ‒ but the only way to avoid that entirely would be to buy a house of her own, and that simply wasn't a possibility in neither the near nor distant future. Or moving back home, which wasn't a possibility either, but for different reasons.
As the car pulled up in front of the red brick building that was soon to be her home, Anna felt a thrill in the pit of her stomach. Simon placed a hand on her arm before they got out of the car and handed her a small, hot pink packet. Anna snorted.
"Name brand dog treats? Simon..."
"You need to make friends with this guy," he said, looking quite serious, and she couldn't tell whether he meant the man or the dog. Two things can be true at the same time. She stuffed the treats into her the back pocket of her jeans.
"I'm going to try my best, you know. I have to live with him," she said, also not sure of who exactly she was thinking of. She had a feeling they were more of a package deal than she'd assumed upon their first meeting.
Simon barely had time to help her carry the desk up the stairs before he had to leave for work, so all Anna managed to facilitate in the way of introductions was a quick handshake, before Simon had to hurry out the door after giving her a quick peck on the cheek. She sighed, stretched, and went back down to bring up the boxes they had unloaded, and which were now sitting right in front of the building. The absence of a friend in the ongoing uprooting of her life made her feel awfully alone.
Mug let out a quiet yet clear "gruff" when he heard the footsteps approach the door. He stood off to the side and watched suspiciously as Elk opened the door to greet the new roommate and the roommate's second person. He was not particularly thrilled about all of this, but he kept back.
Elk was all smiles and genuinely happy to see Anna, and he tried to greet the person with Anna, but the handshake and introductions were so quick that he missed what the fellow was to Anna. He knew she said it, but his ears hadn't functioned quickly enough. Friend? Brother? Not a boyfriend, he was sure of that. He'd ask later. For now, they had boxes to move!
Mug followed them down the stairs and out onto the small, scrabbly patch of green and yellow that passed for a yard around the old apartment building. He stayed there, sniffing, exploring, and sitting to watch while Elk willingly helped Anna haul everything up and into her room. He made some small talk with Anna as they went, nothing too taxing or intimate, and once everything was up in the room, he went to start making dinner to give her space.
"Feel free to use the living room all you want!" he told her as he walked away. "It's common space, so if you have, I don't know, blankets or chairs or a desk, I don't mind if it's out here."
Elk was all smiles and genuinely happy to see Anna, and he tried to greet the person with Anna, but the handshake and introductions were so quick that he missed what the fellow was to Anna. He knew she said it, but his ears hadn't functioned quickly enough. Friend? Brother? Not a boyfriend, he was sure of that. He'd ask later. For now, they had boxes to move!
Mug followed them down the stairs and out onto the small, scrabbly patch of green and yellow that passed for a yard around the old apartment building. He stayed there, sniffing, exploring, and sitting to watch while Elk willingly helped Anna haul everything up and into her room. He made some small talk with Anna as they went, nothing too taxing or intimate, and once everything was up in the room, he went to start making dinner to give her space.
"Feel free to use the living room all you want!" he told her as he walked away. "It's common space, so if you have, I don't know, blankets or chairs or a desk, I don't mind if it's out here."
"Thank you!" She called after him, setting the last box she had in her hands down on the living room floor. Gradually, she managed to empty them: The big, yellow woolen blanket she put on the couch, like Elk had suggested; the literary fiction, she squeezed into an empty spot on the shelf below the TV. After she'd put on her own bedsheets and emptied the boxes of bathroom articles and clothes, there was only one moving box sitting just inside the door to her new bedroom.
Anna glanced out the door ‒ Elk was busy in the kitchen. Feeling reasonably certain that he wasn't watching her, but unwilling to shut the door lest she seem suspicious, she began the process of trying to figure out where she wanted everything. The Paracelsus and Kircher went up on the shelf; those by themselves were easy enough to handwave as simply an interest in esoterica. Next to them went the dense lexicon of modern chemistry. The potion brewing equipment itself, she decided, was better kept in the moving box for now; it rattled gently as she scooted it up against the wall, and fished out her fountain pen, different colored inks, and ream of expensive paper and placed them on the writing desk. The old calendar, she locked in one of the drawers, and pocketed the key.
The alleyman's cards were safely inside their box (which had formerly held stormproof matches), she thought. Unfortunately, they had been jostled in the move: When Anna picked them up, as the last thing she needed to do before she could go socialize with Elk, the box slipped open, and dozens of cards scattered over the floor in their mismatched, incoherent glory. She failed to hold back a frustrated exclamation as she quickly fell to her knees in an attempt to collect them before he got too good a look. The cards by themselves were, again, nothing particularly out of the ordinary ‒ tons of people were into tarot ‒ but the combination of all her things looked more than odd. She had her license to practice magic, she knew she wasn't doing anything wrong. It just felt like something a little too personal to talk about with someone she barely knew yet. She shuffled the cards into a stack without looking at them as quickly as she could, and hastily put them on her desk, too.
"All done," she said with a brightness that wasn't entirely genuine. "It smells wonderful ‒ do you need my help with anything? If not," she said, taking the packet of dog treats out of her pocket and waving it at Elk with a smile, "I have some bribery to attempt."
Anna glanced out the door ‒ Elk was busy in the kitchen. Feeling reasonably certain that he wasn't watching her, but unwilling to shut the door lest she seem suspicious, she began the process of trying to figure out where she wanted everything. The Paracelsus and Kircher went up on the shelf; those by themselves were easy enough to handwave as simply an interest in esoterica. Next to them went the dense lexicon of modern chemistry. The potion brewing equipment itself, she decided, was better kept in the moving box for now; it rattled gently as she scooted it up against the wall, and fished out her fountain pen, different colored inks, and ream of expensive paper and placed them on the writing desk. The old calendar, she locked in one of the drawers, and pocketed the key.
The alleyman's cards were safely inside their box (which had formerly held stormproof matches), she thought. Unfortunately, they had been jostled in the move: When Anna picked them up, as the last thing she needed to do before she could go socialize with Elk, the box slipped open, and dozens of cards scattered over the floor in their mismatched, incoherent glory. She failed to hold back a frustrated exclamation as she quickly fell to her knees in an attempt to collect them before he got too good a look. The cards by themselves were, again, nothing particularly out of the ordinary ‒ tons of people were into tarot ‒ but the combination of all her things looked more than odd. She had her license to practice magic, she knew she wasn't doing anything wrong. It just felt like something a little too personal to talk about with someone she barely knew yet. She shuffled the cards into a stack without looking at them as quickly as she could, and hastily put them on her desk, too.
"All done," she said with a brightness that wasn't entirely genuine. "It smells wonderful ‒ do you need my help with anything? If not," she said, taking the packet of dog treats out of her pocket and waving it at Elk with a smile, "I have some bribery to attempt."
Elk heard the exclamation and, fearing something bad had happened, walked over to look into Anna's room. His brows arched lightly when he saw the cards scattered over the floor, but he didn't say anything immediately. His eyes roved over the rest of the room, silently taking in potion brewing equipment and similar items. Huh. Now this was interesting. Very interesting. He took a step back, allowing himself to sense the room. Yes, she was, indeed, a witch of some sort. Curious.
He smiled and stepped forward once more as she spoke up and complimented the smell, a compliment which served to remind him he had a pan on the stove with food that was going to burn if he lingered too long. "Thank you for the offer, but I have everything in hand. It should be done here in about... ten minutes. You are welcome to try bribing Mug in that time! He might even let you. I heard you cry out, though. Is everything alright?"
He stepped back to give her space to exit her room and walked back to the kitchen. He needed to stir that sauce before he forgot what he was doing.
Mug lay on the living room rug watching them both. He lifted his head when he saw movement, acting very much the guard dog.
He smiled and stepped forward once more as she spoke up and complimented the smell, a compliment which served to remind him he had a pan on the stove with food that was going to burn if he lingered too long. "Thank you for the offer, but I have everything in hand. It should be done here in about... ten minutes. You are welcome to try bribing Mug in that time! He might even let you. I heard you cry out, though. Is everything alright?"
He stepped back to give her space to exit her room and walked back to the kitchen. He needed to stir that sauce before he forgot what he was doing.
Mug lay on the living room rug watching them both. He lifted his head when he saw movement, acting very much the guard dog.
"Everything is fine, yeah, I just dropped something, don't worry," Anna said quickly, not wanting to dwell on it.
She tore open the packet of dog treats and shook out a few in her palm. She squatted down and tentatively held out her hand to Mug. It felt like she was asking the King of the Rug for his grace and permission to stay here.
"Hey, Mug," she said, clearing her throat. Why did we ever domesticate wolves? Why? Why? "Can we be friends? Or at least room mates? Let me be the third wheel here in your life, yeah?" The dog looked so imposing, but unfortunately, Simon was right. If he didn't like her, it would be a lot less fun to be here; a, frankly, massive problem when you worked from home.
She tore open the packet of dog treats and shook out a few in her palm. She squatted down and tentatively held out her hand to Mug. It felt like she was asking the King of the Rug for his grace and permission to stay here.
"Hey, Mug," she said, clearing her throat. Why did we ever domesticate wolves? Why? Why? "Can we be friends? Or at least room mates? Let me be the third wheel here in your life, yeah?" The dog looked so imposing, but unfortunately, Simon was right. If he didn't like her, it would be a lot less fun to be here; a, frankly, massive problem when you worked from home.
Mug stared at her with deep brown eyes. He didn't trust her yet. That wasn't to say he disliked her. Right now, she was a thoroughly neutral party in his life, but he most definitely did not trust her. He obliged by leaning forward and sniffing the offered treats, but he didn't take them. It was rare that he accepted treats from the hand. He would from Elk from time to time, but no one else. Treats were deceptive. Sometimes, they were nothing more than tasty tidbits. Other times, they held hidden nastiness like pills he was supposed to take. He sat back and continued to look at Anna, his expression as flat as a dog's expression could be.
Elk turned off the stove and whistled as he scooped up their dinner into two bowls, guessing how much Anna would want. There was always more if she wanted more. He set the dish of gnocchi mixed with a red meat sauce, heavy on the meat and mild but flavorful with the seasoning, onto the table and called, "Dinner is ready!" Then he remembered. He'd forgotten the cheese! Hastily, he fetched out the warped block of parmisan cheese and grated it over top both of the bowls. There! Now ready. "What would you like to drink? I have water, apple juice, and fizzy water if you'd like."
Elk turned off the stove and whistled as he scooped up their dinner into two bowls, guessing how much Anna would want. There was always more if she wanted more. He set the dish of gnocchi mixed with a red meat sauce, heavy on the meat and mild but flavorful with the seasoning, onto the table and called, "Dinner is ready!" Then he remembered. He'd forgotten the cheese! Hastily, he fetched out the warped block of parmisan cheese and grated it over top both of the bowls. There! Now ready. "What would you like to drink? I have water, apple juice, and fizzy water if you'd like."
Giving up on becoming Mug's best friend right this instant, Anna put the handful of treats in his bowl for later and hoped he'd remember that they came from her. He could get to them in his own time.
"It looks delicious," she said, accepting a glass of water. Should I have gotten us a bottle of wine to celebrate? She speared a gnocchi with a forkful of ragout, took a bite, and smiled. "It is delicious. Thank you so much for cooking, I'm glad I didn't have to think of that on top of the hassle of moving," she continued, raising her glass to him. "Should we make this a regular occurence? I don't know your schedule at all." She hated eating alone. Sharing a meal was such a wonderful way to interact on a human level, she felt: Simultaneously non-committal and communal on a deeply ingrained level.
"In fact, I don't know much about you at all, really," she said, halfway through her bowl of gnocchi, parmesan long dissolved. The light, nutty notes of the cheese permeated the dish. "Which is fine, I don't need you to bare your heart and soul to me or anything right now," Anna continued hastily. "But I'll admit I'm wondering about the purple light from your office? It doesn't seem very, well, practical. For anything."
"It looks delicious," she said, accepting a glass of water. Should I have gotten us a bottle of wine to celebrate? She speared a gnocchi with a forkful of ragout, took a bite, and smiled. "It is delicious. Thank you so much for cooking, I'm glad I didn't have to think of that on top of the hassle of moving," she continued, raising her glass to him. "Should we make this a regular occurence? I don't know your schedule at all." She hated eating alone. Sharing a meal was such a wonderful way to interact on a human level, she felt: Simultaneously non-committal and communal on a deeply ingrained level.
"In fact, I don't know much about you at all, really," she said, halfway through her bowl of gnocchi, parmesan long dissolved. The light, nutty notes of the cheese permeated the dish. "Which is fine, I don't need you to bare your heart and soul to me or anything right now," Anna continued hastily. "But I'll admit I'm wondering about the purple light from your office? It doesn't seem very, well, practical. For anything."
"My schedule is all over the place," Elk admitted, sitting a seat away from her and helping himself to his own portion. "I don't mind if we do this from time to time, but I can't promise anything. Maybe after a while, we'll get used to our schedules and find a time that works for us both." He shrugged with a little smile. "We'll see. We have plenty of time to get to know one another."
He scraped his bowl clean before answering her question. "Pictures on a wall aren't usually considered practicle, either," he remakred with a teasing lilt in his voice. "It is just some light for a project I'm working on for a client. Please, don't go into my office. Confidentiality is really important between clients and tradesmen, wouldn't you agree? It makes the client feel so much better even if the confidentiality is nothing more than what color of socks they ordered from the store."
He scraped his bowl clean before answering her question. "Pictures on a wall aren't usually considered practicle, either," he remakred with a teasing lilt in his voice. "It is just some light for a project I'm working on for a client. Please, don't go into my office. Confidentiality is really important between clients and tradesmen, wouldn't you agree? It makes the client feel so much better even if the confidentiality is nothing more than what color of socks they ordered from the store."
Elk's tone was teasing, but the seriousness of his words didn't match it. There was an insistence to it. Anna did not disagree with his principles, but she got the sense it ran deeper than that.
"Interesting! I won't pry, then," she said, despite her piqued curiosity. I'll wait until I know you better, however long that takes. She trusted that if it were anything actually dangerous, the last thing he'd be looking for was a roommate. But maybe he's a nutcase, after all. And then at least he'd be a nutcase with cooking skills. "My customers generally prefer to order on the downlow, too. I send a lot of packages to P/O boxes." She did have a couple of sigils she needed to finish and send soon ‒ she'd get to that first thing tomorrow. Or second, maybe.
"I was hoping to take a walk around the neighborhood sooner rather than later, actually, to get to know the area a little better. Do you want to come? I'm sure you and Mug know all the interesting places around here," she said over her shoulder, carrying the empty dishes to the sink.
"Interesting! I won't pry, then," she said, despite her piqued curiosity. I'll wait until I know you better, however long that takes. She trusted that if it were anything actually dangerous, the last thing he'd be looking for was a roommate. But maybe he's a nutcase, after all. And then at least he'd be a nutcase with cooking skills. "My customers generally prefer to order on the downlow, too. I send a lot of packages to P/O boxes." She did have a couple of sigils she needed to finish and send soon ‒ she'd get to that first thing tomorrow. Or second, maybe.
"I was hoping to take a walk around the neighborhood sooner rather than later, actually, to get to know the area a little better. Do you want to come? I'm sure you and Mug know all the interesting places around here," she said over her shoulder, carrying the empty dishes to the sink.
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