The Man in the Woods

Dinner and Discourse

"Eat," he says to me, before turning his attention back to his own soup. "Looks delicious" I grin dipping the spoon into my bowl and bringing it to my mouth biting down. "Mmm! It's really good" I smile looking up at him.

Muriel blushes deeply, his eyes darting away from me. "I'm glad you like it," he mumbles between bites of soup. "We did a good job" I reply.

He nods taking a sip of tea seemingly not wanting to make eye contact with me. "So, Muriel..." I start, looking up from my bowl "Since we're going to be staying together for the night maybe we should know more about each other."

Muriel looks up at me, his eyes wary. "I... don't know what you want to know," he says hesitantly. "Well yknow, stuff like hobbies... your interests?" I reply taking a sip of tea.

Muriel frowns, his mind clearly struggling to come up with anything."I don't have many hobbies," he admits. "Awe there has to be something" I say encouragingly.

Muriel's eyes flicker over to the books stacked on a nearby shelf. "I like reading I guess," he says quietly, "And... carving and cooking, I guess." he shrugs awkwardly.

I smile at him "Those are lovely hobbies" Muriel nods but seems uncomfortable with my praise. "What about you?" he asks after a moment's silence.

"Well, I'm an artist. I enjoy drawing, writing, and painting while listening to music." I reply finishing the rest of my soup, "And I also enjoy cooking too"

Muriel's eyes light up slightly at the mention of music. "Do you play an instrument?" he asks, his voice showing genuine interest."I can play piano by ear and I'm learning how to play the lute" I grin taking another sip of tea.

"That's impressive," Muriel says with a small smile. The silence stretches between you again as you both finish your soup. Muriel clears his throat before speaking again. "So, um... you said you were new to Vesuvia?"

I finish off my tea licking the remnants of sugar from the glass. "Yes I moved here from a rural community in the South." I reply placing my teacup inside my empty bowl.

Muriel seems slightly surprised by my answer. "Oh, I'm from the South too." He looks around the room as if trying to distract himself from something, then back at me. "So what do you think of Vesuvia so far?"

I have to think for a moment before responding. "Well besides getting lost in the woods it seems like a nice place to live so far. the palace is really pretty."

Muriel laughs softly at your comment about getting lost in the woods. "Yeah, I think that happens to everyone who moves here." He nods in agreement with your assessment of the palace. "It really is a beautiful place."

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you live in the woods instead of the village?" I look up at him curiously.

Muriel looks down at his hands, seeming to consider how much he should say. "I... well, I don't really like people. And being in the village can be... overwhelming sometimes." He hesitates before continuing. "

"That's understandable people can be too much sometimes..." I nod at his reasoning, "You seem nice though I'm sure you'd have luck with people if you got out once in a while" I smile at him trying to sound encouraging.

Muriel smiles faintly at my words, but there's a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Thank you," he says quietly. He takes a deep breath before continuing. "But the woods are home to me now. It's where I feel safe, where I can be alone without being... lonely."

I nod dropping the subject not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable. We continue our small talk as he finishes his dinner and tea. He offers for me to head back to the living room while he cleans up.

I take a seat by the fireplace as I here bowls and cups clank in the sink. Innana comes to sit next to me and I pet her as we wait for Muriel to return.