Finding Beauty in the Darkness *Obi x OC*(COMPLETE)

Lunch

Obi POV

I helped Ryanne start to prepare soup for our lunch. I was going to politely decline as I had last time, but I figured that even if I did, she would somehow make me change my mind. Once the soup is set up to cook and she starts the kettle, she asks how my cold went over. She had been right, I ended up sick for a few days after my trip but I did use her medicine and it actually helped a lot. She smiles at my response and before I can speak further, Aeri cuts in from the table to say that she's finished her exam and wants to know if she can talk to me now. I tell her that she should probably let Ryanne go over her test first and it seems to be the response Ryanne was going to give her. I watch the herbalist settle at the table and they start to go over it all together.

I stop Ryanne from leaving the table as the kettle starts to whistle and the soup starts to boil. I offer to do it for her so they don't interrupt their work and stir the soup before asking what kind of tea she would like. She thanks me and tells me that rose hip sounds nice. I've never had it but maybe it will be good since the peppermint wasn't bad last time. I move over to the jars she had the peppermint in last time and track down the right jar, then realize I have no idea where she keeps anything else. I stand in the center of the kitchen, mumbling what I'm looking for as if they'll suddenly appear in my hands.

"Teacups are in the far left upper cabinet, second shelf. Tea balls are in the top drawer below that cabinet in a small box on the right hand side." Ryanne tells me without looking up.

I thank her and find everything where she'd said it. I ask about a drink for Aeri and the girl informs me that she wanted to try the apple juice she'd made this morning so she didn't want tea.

"Mister Obi, did you hear? I only missed two questions! I'm one step closer to becoming an awesome herbalist like Mistress Rya!"

I turn from the stove as she beams at me from her chair.

"That's great Aeri. You'll be there before you know it. Did you know that I work with a court herbalist who is only twelve?"

She gasps and falls out of her chair in her haste to get to her feet. "Y-You work with Ryuu!?"

Ryanne laughs and tells her to put away her materials and wash up for lunch and not to harass me. Aeri picks up her book and other supplies before skipping out of the room while Ryanne starts to put away the herbs. I ask how Aeri knows about Ryuu and she explains that Aeri and Ryuu apparently grew up in the same village and she held the typical childish crush on him when they were younger though she never spoke to him. She and Aeri had taken a trip into the village once and came across him in the apothecary and the poor girl almost fainted, then subjected her master to a week's worth of talking about him.

"Now that she knows that you know him, you will likely become her new favorite person. You'll never be rid of her now." Ryanne chuckles as she pulls bowls down from the cabinets for our lunches.

I fill them for her and she carries them to the table before coming back for the teas. Aeri returns and pours herself a glass of what I'm guessing is her apple juice from a metal pitcher on the counter before sitting across from me, leaving Ryanne to take the seat to my left.

"Do you really know Ryuu?" She asks with wide eyes.

"Yes, he works for the castle under Chief Herbalist Garak and is the mentor for my Master's girlfriend."

Her face turns red and I hear Ryanne stifle a laugh as she eats.

"I told you so." I hear her whisper and I bite my lip to hold back a laugh of my own. It's adorable.

I hesitantly pick up my cup of tea and smell it since Ryanne sipped hers.

"You seem like you're afraid of the tea."

"I've never tried it before, honestly." I admit.

"Mistress Rya believes you should try one new thing every day." Aeri chirps. "That's why I tried to make juice and it's good!"

"Is that why you poison yourself, Miss?" I chuckle and notice the older brunette stick her tongue out at me.

"Actually yes."

I shake my head and decide to try the tea and it turns out to be a little sweet but it's nice. The soup is delicious as well.

Aeri leaves after lunch to continue her duties and to study and I offer to help Ryanne clean up the mess from lunch. She tells me not to worry about it but I still end up standing beside her washing the dishes anyway. Watching her move and work I almost couldn't tell she has vision problems, but the little things give her away like the way she doesn't really look at things and just uses her hands to locate them. That explains the charms on the tea jars I'm sure.

"So Miss, can I ask about your..." I trail off trying to find a proper way to word my question.

"You want to know about my eyesight. I remember from our last meeting. You don't have to be shy about it." She tells me as she hands me a bowl to rinse. "I have a disease that affects my eyes. There is no cure and I started showing symptoms when I was Aeri's age. My vision is deteriorating slowly and my eyes have started to whiten from it. I can still see but details are blurry unless I'm right on them. I can no longer read and I hate that more than anything..."

"I'm so sorry Miss."