For a couple of days now Alice had been in Orchidia and in the manor that Kon had bought a couple of months ago. She actually started to get the feeling that this was home without getting damn emotional. She made a walk in the mornings to get and stay active during her day but she also planned to pick up a few new hobbies if she did not have to travel all the time. Although she knew that Kon wanted to go to Worth Woodsea as well as that she had a job that still recuired her to travel. She wanted to enjoy the opportunity to stay here as long as possible. Alice had now started a new hobby about cooking. Which she was apparently already quite good at. For now she was reading something while waiting for the cookies to be done in the oven.

She skipped through the pages going back and forth as she had read it before. There was an exhibition about weapons and the like and she really wanted to go there. But before she could say anything, Jupiter bummed softly against her knee so she would pet him. She continued to read an article about the tragic death of Sarah Smith; a beloved contestant and she wondered what her collection would look like. Even if she would go, she would not be able to see it. However maybe she could pay some sort of tribute to her by visiting her house. That is when the oven made a beeping sound for the timer to say the cookies were done.

She would ask Kon to come along to her house maybe they would be able to see the collection that way! But first cookies.

Wordcount: 280/1000

It had been an interesting experience here in Orchidia with Alice now living with him in his newly acquired manor while it was nice to have plenty of time to spend with her it did leave Kon feeling restricted having to remain there for at least a little while. Luckily though Alice had discovered a newfound hobby for her to focus on while he would be doing other things, cooking of all things, something rather simple but he could respect it. Her skills in the kitchen far outmatched his own to the point where he merely just let her do it without him save for peeling the odd vegetable or stirring a mixture for something, even just an hours ago they made some cookies that were cooking in the kitchen. Wanting to indulge himself in the fruits of their shared labor, he while Alice rested and read made some tea for the two to have with some of the cookies while they discussed what they should do today.

The tea leaves he purchased here, in Orchidia town was bold in flavour even with milk thus he used only a teaspoon into the pot which he took into the living room where Alice rested along with two mugs and a plate of the still steaming cookies all on a tray. “I hope you like tea, I bought some of those cookies along with milk and sugar if you want either or both.” He said as he approached the living room, placing down the tray in the center of the room on the coffee table he moved past Alice catching a glance at a photo of a woman along with a name and two dates likely illustrating her birthdate and death date.

Curious about why Alice would focus on something like a persons death, he questioned her as he started to pour his own cup of tea as he felt it would be more suitable if she poured her own to her own liking as he could easily make hers the wrong way. “Someone you know?, Would you like to pay your respects to the family?”

354/1000

She was about to get up when Konstantin entered the room and she let go of the chair to let herself drop the few centimeters that she had arose to sit again. She looked at him with a worried expression that was quickly replaced by a smile. She did not want to think too much and overthink things that were not necessary at this point. She petted Jupiter again as he looked at her. "Thank you," she answered as Kon told her that he brought tea and the cookies that they had made together. Lately as she was looking at food she had made, she would think about other things she wanted to try. On one hand she knew Kon wanted to go to Worth Woodsea. They had talked about it a couple of days ago and she had agreed to come along but she had not made any start on packing or leaving. She did not know why, did not think about it consciously and now she wondered if he was getting reckless and.. She had to stop herself; afraid she would overthink again.

That was also the moment Kon asked her about the article she was reading and she started to look at the picture of Sarah Smith again, "Her name does sound familiar. She was a collector of weapons. I do not know her personally. She died in some tragic family and actually I would like to go and pay my respects. Would you want to come along?"

She took the tea pot after that and her own tea cup to get some tea for herself. She would wait for the answer and take a cookie after that. When Kon answered positively she would answer that she wanted to change clothes for that and would leave to change after the cup of tea. When she got upstairs she stared at her empty travelling bag and quickly threw some clothing in after she was done changing and went back to the living room. "We can by the way leave to Worth Woodsea after that if you want?" It wad obviously still up to him.

Depending on if Kon was ready; she would leave the manor and visit Sarah Smith her house. Where another ghost showed up...

Wordcount: 648/1000

Alice quickly revealed to Kon that the woman in question while not known personally by her still felt honour bound to give her respects to the grieving family. Willing to take the time out of his day with no plans being made to otherwise interrupt going, he replied after reflecting on when he’d need to get to Worth Woodsea. “I’ll come with you, I can hold off going for another day, I don’t think anything will happen there from now until that period.” After which the duo politely and casually shared cookies and tea with her heading upstairs to perhap change or visit the bathroom, he didn’t know he meanwhile organised himself choosing to go to his own room and put on some more appropriate attire with a formal two pair black suit and his cloak hang out his shoulder bound there by a clasp on each side.  As he left his room and returned to the living room to seat once more on his chair, Alice returned from upstairs shortly thereafter, she too wanted to leave as soon as possible to the forests with her revealing that they could leave after this making it clear that it wouldn’t take long.

Wanting to ensure that there was no pressure put on his fiancee, he remarked as began to leave his seat to approach Alice. “Alice, we can go whenever you want I don’t want to inconvenience you nor do anything that will tire you out.” Getting even closer now to Alice he wrapped his arms around her before kissing her gently on the forehead. “I only what the best for you and our child to be.” There was always a tingle of guilt that Kon couldn’t help feeling that blocked him from fully enjoying this unique experience, he had done and will continue to do terrible things whether for himself or someone else.

There was something he really need to tell her but he had never truly found the right way to approach the conversation but perhaps it was the right time afterall they were in perhaps the most friendly place that he could think of at the moment so while still holding onto Alice he began to speak slowly releasing his grasp however and moving back as he did so. “Alice there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, remember that crack in my hand well it’s been getting better hence the reason for me wearing these gloves all the time, heck the ring I got for myself to show our relationship status even changed to glow similar to it.”

Wanting to illustrate the length of it had progressed he removed his right hand glove. The crack had now become far larger in size since the time he first showed her with it now turning into a large gap reaching from the end of his ring finger’s metacarpal to the start of the join of the carpals and radius bones meanwhile other cracks like fine spiderwebs etched the rest of his palm all leeching out light to various degrees. “It might be pretty but it’s not good, I need something to remove all of this excess mana that I’m storing, I’ll be doing some research later after we going to Worth Woodsea.” Returning to the topic at hand Kon returned his hand into his glove before hopping his arm around alice and strode out the front door with her towards the former home of the deceased woman.

Surprisingly when they reached her home there was no-one to be found in fact the home was locked, curious about why there wasn’t anyone there given that it likely should have been the place of mourning, he knocked on the door only to be welcomed by yet another ghost. “Blast it another one of you ghosts, where are all of you coming from?” Shocked about her new state the woman looked and twirled to see her form. “I’m a ghost how?” She questioned them, admittedly he didn’t know merely shaking his head. With the cases of ghosts he had encountered recently they all had one thing in common needing something done for them. Curious about what she needed from them he questioned her before setting off to help her. “Yes I need you to showcase my weapons to sell.” Happy to sell he did so with Alice before preparing to leave for worth woodsea.

[Exit]

1086/1000

She did not exactly why she tried to put off going to Worth Woodsea all the time. Mainly because she had been there and nothing went wrong so why would it now and it was ridiculous to say she only did it for Hecate. She told Kon that they could leave after this as soon as she came down. Which brought a different reaction than she anticipated but did not mind in any way. She smiled at Kon but also looked concerned. "I do noy want to hold you up. I actually feel rather good. So it might be good to go now." She gave him a kiss just to put a bit more pressure to her words; as he should not be too worried. But there was something else worrying her as he took a step back. Automatically as some way to protect herself, she put a hand on the small baby bump and looked more worried than a few seconds ago. But she did not ask, she simply waited and listened. Her eyes turned a little bigger and she stared at him while he removed the glove and showed her what the crack had become. "Does it hurt?" She asked when he finished talking. "Let me help you. Research with you. No matter what you will need. I will help."

She meant every word of that but let Kon changed the topic for now and soon they would leave. Go and pay respect to the family of Sarah Smith. Which was a very strange setting when they came to the address written in the short article. There was no one. And when Kon knocked on the door; a ghost showed up. And Alice was lost for words as she recognized her as Sarah Smith. So she had to tell her she died and Alice coule provide her with a little bit of information thanks to the article and Sarah requested for them to show off her weapons. Easy job for a specialist like Alice. Even though she did not use weapons anymore. But she would help Sarah and once they were done, they visited a museum to donate the goods. With one short stop at home. Alice would pick up Jupiter and Hecate to leave to Worth Woodsea.

Wordcount: 1018/1000

Exit