A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
- Location
- England
Cerys POV
Once again, the corridors were empty for you.
You made a brisk pace as you carried Una through the twisting and turning hallways, cradling her sleeping form against yourself. The fact that she had fallen straight back to sleep when she was usually so energetic stuck strongly in your mind as you moved. There was also a strange stillness in the air and it took you until you had passed the cafeteria to identify as the lack of magic floating around.
Karen was waiting for you in the garage, leaning against one of the many cars and playing with her hair. She looks up when you approach and something is just off about her. She looks normal, her hair a little ruffled but otherwise excusable to the wind. You frown, but put it on hold for now as she nods to you in greeting, opening the passenger door she had been leaning against. You shimmy inside, careful not to wake your sister as Karen walks around and settles into the drivers seat.
She opens her mouth to say something, but glances down at your sister before shaking her head. Instead, she starts the car, engine starting at a quiet rumble as she closes her door. The moment she does, all outside sound seems to disappear, the silence enough that you could hear your own breathing clear as day. Even Una's little breaths were as loud as talking. You smile at her as she pulls out of the garage, moving through the congested streets with age old practice.
An hour into your drive along the motorway, you notice something. I smell blood.
Your carefully check your sister, but she isn't bleeding. When you take a deep sniff, you can still barely smell it, but it is definitely not coming from either of you.
You scrutinize Karen, the tiny wrinkles in her clothes and her ruffled hair adding up to make a much clearer picture. The final thing that seal it is a tiny little fleck of blood, on the very end of the cuff of her sleeve. On the outside of her clothes.
She notices your scrutiny, flicking her eyes down at her cuff before looking back to you a little sheepishly. You don't say anything for now, your sister really does need the sleep, but you'll ask her about this later. I didn't think she still did frontline work...
Two hours later, Karen finally pulls into a drive. The sound muffling is broken when she cracks her door open, quickly opening the gate and closing it behind her as you were driven through. You carefully stand from the car, your sister dead to the world as she dreams deeply, quiet murmurs of whatever dream she has making it's way to the surface. You smile as you carefully brush a fallen hair off of her eyelid, quiet crunching noises sounding out as you walk down the pebble driveway.
Karen is waiting by the doorway, unlocking the door with an old, ornate key and stepping through the entranceway. She waves you closer, reaching up on her tip-toes so she can whisper into your ear. "I'm going to put dinner on, do you want to settle her in a bedroom?" You instantly shake your head, a little tired from keeping your output of magic into your sister steady for the last nine hours or so. She nods, apparently having expected that answer from you anyway. "The living room is through that door." She points further into the house, a doorway a couple of metres off to the left of the entrance hallway. "Go sit down, it should only take twenty minutes or so."
You awkwardly pull your shoes off with your feet, padding down the soft carpet and glancing at the knick knacks on the walls. An old pendulum clock waits at the end of the hallway, several paintings of nature lining the walls, a small one of a fluffy kitten sitting next to the clock. The door swings inwards silently, the room having the same floral green wallpaper as the rest of the house. Two sofas sit on opposite sides of the room, a thick rug taking centrepiece with a large chair by the knee to ceiling windows topping it off.
You gently set yourself down on the sofa, lowing yourself until Una is lying atop yourself as comfortably as you can. The sun is beginning to set outside, half of it hiding behind the tall trees that line the edge of the property, little streams of light falling onto your legs. You shift a little, letting your head burrow into the soft plush of the sofa's arm.
You lie their for a long while, listening to your sister's soft breathing, her tiny form slowly rising and falling on your chest as she breathes. You hear a clang from further into the house and you almost jump to your feet, but you can just barely hear Karen cursing quietly to herself and the spittle of oil on a pan. A little while later she pokes her head through the door, a small smile on her face as she looks down at the two of you. "Dinner is ready."
You nod at her, slowly sitting up as Una slumps forwards against your chest. Your wrap your arms around her shoulders, gently shaking her. Her eyes blearily open, tiny sparks dancing in her iris for a moment before they fade. She makes a cute noise, like a rabbit squeaking as she blinks. "...huh?"
You gently flick her nose to get her attention. "Come on, sleepyhead, it's time for dinner."
She blinks a little before nodding sleepily. "Uh... 'kay." She takes your hand, letting you guide her as you pad along the soft carpet after Karen, who was trying her best to keep her enormous smile to herself.
You settle down at the table, sturdy wooden seats creaking as you set yourself down on them, a plateful of sausages wrapped in bacon, mash and carrots waiting for you. You cautiously take a bite of the sausage, after dipping it in the provided ketchup. Mmm! "It's good." The words slip out of your mouth without thought, a pleased smile appearing on Karen's face.
"That's good, it's been a while since I've cooked for someone else." She starts to eat herself.
"It doesn't show." Una yawns as she devours her sausage, nodding with your words.
The rest of the meal is made in silence, the two of you far too busy eating to waste breath speaking. Somehow Karen still finished before either of you, despite eating normally and starting after you. The two of you put your cutlery down, sitting back and enjoying the feeling of a full meal as you let out a comfortable sigh. A glance out the windows in the kitchen show the sky darkening, the clock telling you that it's just shy of seven in the afternoon.
Normally, I would be trying to get her to sleep right now. You glance down at your sister, she's subtly bouncing in her seat as she stretches, letting out a long yawn as she finishes waking up. I get the feeling I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight. Karen sends you a pitying glance as she leans back, but her amused smile tells you everything you need to know. Traitor.
[] Explore the house
[] Talk with Karen
-[] About?
[] Where is the Tea, woman?
[] Books?
[] Call Home and talk with everyone
You may pick two
Once again, the corridors were empty for you.
You made a brisk pace as you carried Una through the twisting and turning hallways, cradling her sleeping form against yourself. The fact that she had fallen straight back to sleep when she was usually so energetic stuck strongly in your mind as you moved. There was also a strange stillness in the air and it took you until you had passed the cafeteria to identify as the lack of magic floating around.
Karen was waiting for you in the garage, leaning against one of the many cars and playing with her hair. She looks up when you approach and something is just off about her. She looks normal, her hair a little ruffled but otherwise excusable to the wind. You frown, but put it on hold for now as she nods to you in greeting, opening the passenger door she had been leaning against. You shimmy inside, careful not to wake your sister as Karen walks around and settles into the drivers seat.
She opens her mouth to say something, but glances down at your sister before shaking her head. Instead, she starts the car, engine starting at a quiet rumble as she closes her door. The moment she does, all outside sound seems to disappear, the silence enough that you could hear your own breathing clear as day. Even Una's little breaths were as loud as talking. You smile at her as she pulls out of the garage, moving through the congested streets with age old practice.
/LINE BREAK\
An hour into your drive along the motorway, you notice something. I smell blood.
Your carefully check your sister, but she isn't bleeding. When you take a deep sniff, you can still barely smell it, but it is definitely not coming from either of you.
You scrutinize Karen, the tiny wrinkles in her clothes and her ruffled hair adding up to make a much clearer picture. The final thing that seal it is a tiny little fleck of blood, on the very end of the cuff of her sleeve. On the outside of her clothes.
She notices your scrutiny, flicking her eyes down at her cuff before looking back to you a little sheepishly. You don't say anything for now, your sister really does need the sleep, but you'll ask her about this later. I didn't think she still did frontline work...
/LINE BREAK\
Two hours later, Karen finally pulls into a drive. The sound muffling is broken when she cracks her door open, quickly opening the gate and closing it behind her as you were driven through. You carefully stand from the car, your sister dead to the world as she dreams deeply, quiet murmurs of whatever dream she has making it's way to the surface. You smile as you carefully brush a fallen hair off of her eyelid, quiet crunching noises sounding out as you walk down the pebble driveway.
Karen is waiting by the doorway, unlocking the door with an old, ornate key and stepping through the entranceway. She waves you closer, reaching up on her tip-toes so she can whisper into your ear. "I'm going to put dinner on, do you want to settle her in a bedroom?" You instantly shake your head, a little tired from keeping your output of magic into your sister steady for the last nine hours or so. She nods, apparently having expected that answer from you anyway. "The living room is through that door." She points further into the house, a doorway a couple of metres off to the left of the entrance hallway. "Go sit down, it should only take twenty minutes or so."
You awkwardly pull your shoes off with your feet, padding down the soft carpet and glancing at the knick knacks on the walls. An old pendulum clock waits at the end of the hallway, several paintings of nature lining the walls, a small one of a fluffy kitten sitting next to the clock. The door swings inwards silently, the room having the same floral green wallpaper as the rest of the house. Two sofas sit on opposite sides of the room, a thick rug taking centrepiece with a large chair by the knee to ceiling windows topping it off.
You gently set yourself down on the sofa, lowing yourself until Una is lying atop yourself as comfortably as you can. The sun is beginning to set outside, half of it hiding behind the tall trees that line the edge of the property, little streams of light falling onto your legs. You shift a little, letting your head burrow into the soft plush of the sofa's arm.
You lie their for a long while, listening to your sister's soft breathing, her tiny form slowly rising and falling on your chest as she breathes. You hear a clang from further into the house and you almost jump to your feet, but you can just barely hear Karen cursing quietly to herself and the spittle of oil on a pan. A little while later she pokes her head through the door, a small smile on her face as she looks down at the two of you. "Dinner is ready."
You nod at her, slowly sitting up as Una slumps forwards against your chest. Your wrap your arms around her shoulders, gently shaking her. Her eyes blearily open, tiny sparks dancing in her iris for a moment before they fade. She makes a cute noise, like a rabbit squeaking as she blinks. "...huh?"
You gently flick her nose to get her attention. "Come on, sleepyhead, it's time for dinner."
She blinks a little before nodding sleepily. "Uh... 'kay." She takes your hand, letting you guide her as you pad along the soft carpet after Karen, who was trying her best to keep her enormous smile to herself.
You settle down at the table, sturdy wooden seats creaking as you set yourself down on them, a plateful of sausages wrapped in bacon, mash and carrots waiting for you. You cautiously take a bite of the sausage, after dipping it in the provided ketchup. Mmm! "It's good." The words slip out of your mouth without thought, a pleased smile appearing on Karen's face.
"That's good, it's been a while since I've cooked for someone else." She starts to eat herself.
"It doesn't show." Una yawns as she devours her sausage, nodding with your words.
The rest of the meal is made in silence, the two of you far too busy eating to waste breath speaking. Somehow Karen still finished before either of you, despite eating normally and starting after you. The two of you put your cutlery down, sitting back and enjoying the feeling of a full meal as you let out a comfortable sigh. A glance out the windows in the kitchen show the sky darkening, the clock telling you that it's just shy of seven in the afternoon.
Normally, I would be trying to get her to sleep right now. You glance down at your sister, she's subtly bouncing in her seat as she stretches, letting out a long yawn as she finishes waking up. I get the feeling I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight. Karen sends you a pitying glance as she leans back, but her amused smile tells you everything you need to know. Traitor.
[] Explore the house
[] Talk with Karen
-[] About?
[] Where is the Tea, woman?
[] Books?
[] Call Home and talk with everyone
You may pick two
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