Fare for the Fair | Tane & Sophia
Tane had always enjoyed working with his hands. There was something calm about sifting his fingers through soft, rich soil, which he supposed was at least in part related to the fact that he was a Te-Tini. But other than that, it had always been something that calmed him, focusing on his touch and his intentions. He found that when he focused on his task, it was often thoroughly immersed in his light magic. The things he loved to do, growing food, cooking, walking trails through the forest; they likely all reeked of his magic, if one were such a creature that could sense these things. Perhaps it wasn’t very tactical of him- any supernatural that wanted to could likely track him directly to his house based upon the path of light auras he trailed behind him. But these days, there weren’t many that specifically came looking to bother him. If anything, all of his lingering magic would be warm and welcoming to those that came to his home to see him. Today, as he dug potatoes out of the ground with his fingers in placed them in a large bowl, he considered the guest that would be arriving shortly, and their plans for that evening.
It had been a while since he’d seen Sophia. Too long, really. She had been one of those people that was very suddenly introduced to his life, and had never once stepped out of it again now that she was in. It was rare that he sought out one of the Fire Folk to share his company, but she was the shining exception to that rule. He’d known her father for some time, as an acquaintance and ally and then as a casual friend; but he had only heard of Sophia when the man excitedly shared the news that his daughter was returning to Echo Valley. They met shortly upon her return, as part of her father’s effort to introduce her to the Faerie culture on the island. Tane had been good to her father, and so he trusted him enough to introduce them, and Tane made sure to make himself available for any questions she had. He felt he hadn’t known her long enough before a Ponaturi attack took her father, but in the aftermath of it they became very close indeed. He hated to see anyone struggle or suffer, and so he had often cooked for her; and since he made everything with his hands, a fair amount of healing light had certainly seeped into the dishes. And they talked, about anything and everything she could possibly want to discuss. After some time, they began cooking together, and then after a while longer it became a sort of regular thing, like tonight.
Tane stood up from his spot in the garden and collected his bowl of potatoes, carrots, and a few other vegetables and herbs, making his way inside to the kitchen. On the table there were a few quails he’d recovered from his traps a bit earlier, and he had a few other things set out on the counter ready for when Sophia arrived. He set down the bowl of vegetables as he passed, and took a seat in an old wooden chair at the table that seemed as if it might fall apart at any moment from the way it creaked when he sat down. He took up one of the quail and began plucking the feathers, another task that calmed him and kept his mind occupied as he waited for Sophia to arrive. As he worked, he hummed a song softly under his breath that didn’t quite have a name, and the whole cabin began to fill with his familiar warmth and magic.