Shopping and Other Things [Rina]

[Tally]

"I mind, and if you're not going to say anything then I will.  Why do you put up with that?"  Ruben chose the table, one near a window.  It would be a relief to have a new coat, though he couldn't wear sleeves yet.  His arm was too sensitive to touch, even with the bandages on.  He'd have to go around with one sleeve rolled up.

[Anonymous]

"It ain't a big deal. I just make people a bit nervous is all. He doesn't mean anything by it." Doyle wished Ruben would let it go. He didn't like making waves and that was all Ruben seemed to want to do.

"How's yer arm doing? It seems ta be healing well, no infection or nothin'."

[Tally]

"They must know about your carnival of weaponry."  That had given even Ruben some pause when he'd first met Doyle, but he'd gotten over it fast enough.  He'd been an utter stranger to Doyle.  People who had known him for years didn't have that excuse.

"Perhaps two weeks more, and I won't have to visit the healer once a day any longer.  Even then, it will be a long time in healing."  Burns like these took time to heal up, and longer still to regenerate new skin over the scar tissue, if it could even be done at all.  The healer couldn't guarantee him anything.

[Anonymous]

"Uh, yeah." That was part of it, part other things he didn't really like talking about. Which included some awkward childhood incidents, anger control issues and the problems he had with his wife. He was glad to keep the conversation on another subject, "That sounds good. It seems to be lookin' good, I bet their will be little ta none scarin'."

[Tally]

"I hope so."  Ruben frowned down at his arm and touched it gingerly with his fingertips.  As reluctant as he was to admit it, the healer was doing a fair job in treating him.  He still worried about scars, every day.  It was difficult to imagine the ruined flesh could heal without leaving behind melted, rippling scar tissue in its wake.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with Penelope when I go back to the observatory.  She can't stay there, I've no place for her."

[Anonymous]

"Well, if ya like, I was thinkin' ya could keep her at my place. She can be with the other pigs then and I can take care of her and ya can visit and such whenever ya like. Or I can see about buildin' ya a pen and barn. It's nice havin' animals around. I got a goat if ya want fresh milk up there that I could sell ya cheap."

Though, Doyle was hoping he would have something to keep Ruben coming back to visit. It was really nice having the mage around and while Doyle wanted him healed, he didn't want to lose the company.

[Tally]

Ruben tapped his fingers on the table, thinking.  He didn't care to have an animal there while he was trying to work and...if Penelope stayed with Doyle he would have a reason to stop by the place when he was in town.  Pathetic as it was, he wasn't used to spending every waking hour alone.  At the college there had always been other people around him, all the time.

"She can stay with you.  You've got the room and I wouldn't have the time for her there."  Yes, that would work out best, and he trusted Doyle with her care.  He even trusted him not to eat her.

[Anonymous]

"Sounds good. She'll like havin' other pigs around I'm sure." And maybe Doyle would just have to visit Ruben as well, make sure he was eating right and the like. It wasn't good to be all alone out there in the woods.

The owner of the inn arrived, wiping his hands on a rag, "Well, what can I get for ya? I got some lovely roast chicken or pottage with and without bacon and I think I got a bit of fish still."

[Tally]

"It'll be better for her, leastways."  Ruben still didn't know how to care for a pig and Doyle certainly seemed to know the ins and outs of it.  He could have, but hardly had the time to devote to it.  Every hour not spent in progression of his research had him writhing and restless.

"Pottage," he said to the innkeep.  "No bacon.  And two eggs."

[Anonymous]

"I'll have the chicken please. Got any potatoes?"

"Sure sure. Comin' right up." The innkeeper left, heading back into the kitchen to grab their food. Doyle turned his attention back to Ruben, "I'll spoil her rotten, don't you worry. Are ya able to work okay at my place? If ya need me to help set things up or carry them or anything, just let me know."

[Tally]

"Most of what I can do without the observatory is calculations and theory, but..."  Ruben looked up at him.  "If we could find a clear spot away from the house you could help me test a few things.  It wouldn't take much.  Just you, me, and a couple of hours a night."

In a way, being stuck at Doyle's house was proving beneficial.  Without the observatory he was forced to go back to the calculations, the ground level of the research, and was beginning to rethink and question some ideas he'd held to be true about the declensions—ideas that had not produced results.  He was fairly bursting with possibilities and questions and testing them all in practice was far more exciting than taking measurements through a spyglass all night.

[Anonymous]

"Oh, there is plenty of space." Ruben's choice of words flustered Doyle just a little, his mind going somewhere a little naughtier. But he quickly shoved those thoughts aside and focused on the actual meaning, "I bet we can find somewhere that works. Want to go look after lunch?"

[Tally]

"Certainly.  We only need a space with a clear view of the sky.  The fewer lights and trees around the better.  Oh."

He hadn't thought about the immense creature that had attacked them in several days, but it had to be still prowling around out there.  If they went out, they would be in the thick of it, far enough from the village to make fleeing impractical or impossible.  Doyle would be there, and he could fight it off, but that hardly put Ruben at ease.

"Isn't that...creature still out there?  We'll have to be out at night.  In the middle of the night."

[Anonymous]

"Well, it could be. But this time I'll be much better prepared." Like wearing a shirt for example and bringing a better weapon to kill it with, "I'll keep you safe, don't worry."

[Tally]

Doyle sounded so sure.  It seemed impossible, but he really could drive that thing away and kill it.  Ruben brightened, some of his anxiety evaporating in the force of Doyle's confidence.  Doyle wouldn't say it if it weren't true.  He had never struck Ruben as a man given to make claims he could not back up with action.

"We'll go then."  A serving girl arrived with their food and Ruben frowned down at the eggs on his plate.  They were far too browned.  Someone didn't know what they were doing back there.  He opened his mouth to tell her to take them back and bring him something cooked right but then looked at Doyle and stopped.  It did upset him when Ruben took issue with matters like this.  He supposed he could let it go, just once.

Sullen, not happy about it in the least, he pulled the plate over to him.

[Anonymous]

Doyle noticed Ruben's expression of disgust and he felt his pulse quicken, about to try and ward off the rude tirade at the innocent girl when Ruben's mouth shut and he took to plate. Doyle stared for a moment, surprised before putting his head down and took a quick bite of his chicken, "It'll be fun. Maybe ya can show me more of the shapes ya know. There seemed to be lots on that star map of yours."

[Tally]

As soon as the girl took herself away, Ruben let fly everything he'd wanted to say.  Holding back his opinion was harder than he would have thought.  He'd been fairly bursting.

"I don't think these people have cooked eggs before.  Look at these.  They have the gall to ask coin for this!  I could do better with my eyes closed—shapes, what shapes?"

[Anonymous]

"What's wrong with the eggs?" They seemed totally fine to Doyle and he gave Ruben a puzzled look, "The shapes. You know, the ram and the fish and the archer and the like."

[Tally]

"Oh right, right.  The constellations."  Ruben picked at the eggs.  They weren't that bad he just hated to settle when he didn't have to.  Doyle's apathy over their sorry state took some of the fire out of him.  "Of course.  We'll see them tonight."

[Anonymous]

"I like them. Findin' new ones and such. I used ta lay out and search the stars and find all kinds of shapes in them while I was away." Doyle worked on his chicken, savoring the taste.