Katherine
"Hm... Okay. I'm gonna stay in this room, though. Some neat stuff in this box, and since he's gone he wouldn't know I'm messing with it~... Which reminds me. What were you talking about, the whole uh, maid uniforms... Thing."

*Erin sat down on the bed, bringing up the box that was poking out from under it. There were quite a lot of random stuff in here, along with half a scarf! This guy must've been making one, with these needles and ball of yarn. A shame he'd left all this stuff behind... Must have been really desperate.*
James
"It'll just be a formal uniform to wear during merchant meetings... If I ever have one. It seems that merchants don't get the type of business that they use to nowadays. Most of the market has been drove to adventurers and making sure they stay well equipped and in good shape, hell I haven't even seen too many merchant guilds since I came here to Salvainia."

*Syele yelled out while continuing to clean the blood off them with the rag and double check the wound that she took to her arm to make sure that it was still in proper working order. It was difficult to take such wounds, but at this point she was building up a scar collection.* "Secondly, we should also discuss going on some quests together since that seems to be the main way anyone makes money in this part of the world."
Katherine
"Yeah, I've seen a bunch of people going out to do random things for people. Finding horses, stabbing some guys, even stabbing dead guys!... *How do you kill something that's already-*... Well, I dunno."

*Erin would shrug to herself, as she then looked back to Syele. The girl would be holding the half-finished scarf and wrap it around her neck and tied it like a bow. She was now wearing a orange bow of cloth! ~~+2 cute stat~~*

"We can do quests together though! It'd be fun for us to go out and do stuff. I also need to save money for things, to help carry on the shop my family lost... Maybe buy a house close to here, in a year or so. Having too much silver would be a pain."
James
*Syele would blink a few times at Erin, 'This girl is no blood of mine, there's no way in the seven hells that she is.' she thought to herself for the time being. Before putting her coat back over and buttoning it slowly.* "I honestly could help you with the house and shop sooner if you wish. It'd just be adding a few more months of debt ontop... And I would just also prefer to have it connected to my already existing home so we can have that arrangement for a bit longer."

*Syele stated flatly and coughed a bit into a rag with a visible red appearing on it. She'd wipe off the blood that came with it from her mouth and sat back down for the time being.* "Apologizes, I was caught in a bad fire and even got burnt myself a few times. I should be fine here in a few days after some more healing."
Katherine
"I'm gonna work for the shop myself since it's, ya know... My shop! I'll be here for quite some time though, so it's okay. I'll slap it somewhere down the road maybe, because I don't wanna annoy you with how popular it'll be!... *Maybe*."

*Erin laid down on her side, against the bed. Today was quite the day... She gets a place to sleep, someone to call family, and gets to keep walking around and doing what she wants! As long as this room doesn't get locked, it'll be fine. As long as she doesn't keep her trapped here, it'll be fine. As long as she doesn't start repeating what `they` did, it'll be fine.*

"... Oh wait, I remembered! Does that mean you can't do much for a bit? I can do some stuff by myself if you want. I haven't done too much, so I could try a quest by myself... Didn't pay too much attention to jobs cause of the gold I had laying around."

*She smiled to herself, maybe she could go get some food from the Inn or market! She hasn't quite been to the most popular ones... She doesn't know where they are! Could be fun.*
James
*Syele was rather concerned with the girl, she was nothing like what she expected but then again she was always the shut in from what she remembered from the Husen meetings. Kind of a 'reserved for marriage' type deal which was meant for her role if her father hadn't damaged her so terribly in his discipline, but life would be what it is regardless in her thoughts.* "No, that is quite fine, I'm so helpless as to say I can't handle myself in some situations... As further regard to quests I suppose we can go on one shortly if you believe yourself to be too short on coin right now."

*Syele would stop for a moment and looked up at Erin calmly.* "But I do have a question of you, Erin, were you just a marriage piece to your family? It doesn't seem like you were involved much in any type of merchant work that often times turns an Husen cold. I honestly expected someone cold and cruel when I brought here, but you've turned out to be quite the opposite thus far."

*She'd lightly bite the bottom of her lip around that time in a curious manner as to the value of Erin, the young lady could probably fetch a decent price to some merchant with her personality.* "Because I must say, it's rather attractive for such qualities for a lady such as yourself to be so gentle yet not as far to say you are naive with it. I'd even go far as to say you would be a good suit for one of the local merchant families or a lower end noble." *The oriate would then stand up.* "But anyways, I suppose we could prepare some supper for the time being... Is there anything in particular that you like?"
Katherine
"I can't really cook... But uhm... I can make a good black steak! The taste is kinda weird, but you get used to it."

*She nodded to herself, after sitting back up on the bed once Syele finished speaking.*

"However, I don't really like talking about before... Shut in a room for practically years, sometimes being let out to just be shown off... Then back in to start investigating magic again and how to learn different enchantments, make your own, discover what's on them, what's their limits, what's their breaking point, what happens when they break, what they do when the pieces break from the entire thing breaking, does the enchantment still work, can you take it all back and put it on another thing, can you... Sorry I'm rambling."

*She practically blanked out for a bit, staring dead into the floor while prattling off about the work she did. Her ears would lower as she likely begun to remember some saddening things... So she looked up again to Syele.*

"L-let's go make black steak. You spin it in the fire really fast till it's all black and brown!"

*She then got up to follow Syele.*
James
"No." *Syele stated plainly to her offer of 'black steak', she knew the poor girl was just referring to literal burnt steak and for the further of the fact, she doesn't even stock steak to begin... All she has is mutton and she knew damn well how to cook a decent piece of mutton rather then burning it to a piece of crisp. Cooking was a careful process that no one should just butcher, she thought.* "We will not be having black steak... Never will I let a piece of burned food touch my mouth, I already cannot taste food but I'll be damned if I'll be eating like a peasant."

*She stated flatly and then literally grabbed Erin by the arm and marched her down to the kitchen where she'd have her sit down at the small table meant for just four people.* "Wait here... I'll go see if I got any salted mutton from my sheep." *She spoke out and went outside with some... Saddening blahs could be heard and a violent slicing noise... Followed with some more splatters and dripping as Syele literally butchers one of her sheep.*

*She'd then bring in some slabs of meat and put it down over her fire stove and lit the wood underneath while adding it onto a large metal pan and tossed in various ground spices onto it as well.* "It'll take a while to cook but pay it no mind, we'll just chat until it's done." *The oriate would have a little bit of blood on her coat, but she quietly took it off and sat it to the side.* "But furthermore, what I was suggesting if that you possibly find a suitor to marry and I could be... Well your representative or guardian in the matter since as I said, you got some good qualities that many merchants and nobles desire in a woman."
Katherine
"You're too nice, Syele. You have a lot nicer qualities though... Like having a house! Being able to cook is also really nice, not to mention all the trading you know how to do!"

*She was lightly slapping the table while speaking, her tail slowly wagging as she went on.*

"Haven't you thought about it?... You could make a lot more money with it! Just act dumb and cute, have your husband act disappointed with you! Then you just act like you lowered the over-priced stuff and they buy it off of you instead...! That's how my parents did it!"
James
*Syele just simply frowned at her statement and shook her head as the meat continued to sizzle on the pan, she'd flip it over often making sure each side was cooked evenly while masking it with more of the spices... Basic things such as salt, pepper, and maybe something else that she had forgotten the name for that added a rather sweet taste to it.* "To be frank, I have no appeal that anyone would find attractive and for the matter of the fact my body has taken so many scars that they would think me a blade-whore then a merchant who makes an honest living."

*She'd then slide over a fair slab of the meat onto a plate with a fork and knife at the ready as she laid it gently in front of Erin.* "I would typically have some side dishes prepared but seeing as you've clearly never had real food I believe this will do for your first bit of eating. Secondly to the matter, must men I have found that I have a disfavor toward... They're either too rash with their own lives or too harsh toward others. I believe that is the cruelty of the world in it's own right, they have been made to believe that harshness and a cold hand is how they should solve all problems that confront them."

*Her ears flicked slightly at the notion and her voice went soft.* "So why, I must ask, do you think I would give my heart that has already bled and been torn to shreds to something as trivial to be wounded yet again? Let's be frank too, your parents relationships was all for show just as mine was, that's been most marriages for the Husen family. A submissive wife who acts the part and the man who reels the noose that controls the decisions."
Katherine
*Erin laid her arm against the table, leaning into her hand as Syele spoke rather self-deprecatingly. Quite the problem was here... Some people can't really let go of things quite often, but it wasn't like she herself was above that.*

"Why do we have to have the same relationships our parents had? They're gone, so we can do what we want now... And we already know how such things end, so why not take a step in a new direction?

*She'd then straighten up again, both arms on the table after she set down the food.*

"Besides, you don't look like your heart was shredded... You're still alive and stunning~! People would have to be stupid to pass up a lady with wealth behind her. Plus~, experience is the only reason we're still here to enjoy some good food!"

*She'd take some pokes at the mutton... Hot! Have to use the knife and fork! She then spoke while having a bite of food in her mouth, which she was enjoying, as her tail wagged faster*

"Yoou cahn leahrn from things as lohng they dohn't kill you! Juhst gib peeple... ***Swallows food***... You trust, a chance to earn your love........ And be equals, of course!"
James
*Syele would grab a mug in a rather dramatic manner as she drink some fresh water from it and looked over at Erin intently around that time. She'd then set it down calmly and spoke out again.* "That's my point, we don't have to, so why I should we? I honestly hope to find some nice wench down on her luck and just marry them instead. I mean, it'll be better then dealing with a literal mule constantly nagging away at me."

*Syele stated plainly and continued to take small sips from her mug until finally she took a bite from her mutton with a sicken look on her face enough to the point she went over to the corner and spat it out. She'd then come back with a piece of bread and started to take small nibbles out of it while she pushed her plate over to Erin.* "Eat that for me, I can't stand the taste." *Her voice was rather miserable with the fact and she only sank down into her chair.*

"Besides, why marry someone who would have everything? It'd be even more appealing for me to go after someone born from nothing and has very little happiness in their life to begin with. It's really the only way to make a person like me shine in any regard, I'm dull, cold, and rather... How to put it... Emotionless." *Her monotone voice continued to stream out each word with a dull color forming in her brown eyes.*
Katherine
*Erin wouldn't quite get why Syele found her own food disgusting... It was pretty good. That dampened her mood a bit, but she kept eating. Might as well not let it go to waste!*

"It's easy to tear yourself apart, because it's usually the person themselves not realizing what they can appreciate. Why not work on something about yourself if you know it won't work? Of course, don't force yourself to be what you dislike... But change isn't always bad."

*Erin had already devoured the mutton on her own plate, and was about a quarter of the way through Syele's. Quite the appetite. She swallowed down another chunk before speaking again...*

"As well, why insist on always speaking ill of yourself? You've worked hard for all of that you got now! You were kind enough to give me a place to stay, cooked for me too when you said I should be the one doing it... ***Munch munch***... You're just too hard on yourself."
James
*Syele would suddenly reach over the table and lightly pet Erin across the head calmly.* "I've never tear myself apart, I've had others to do that for me since I was little. I mean my mother spatted her insults the first time I disobey my father and my father handle out his punishments and as for my siblings they just watched or even helped in some ways. Then came the strangers and their treatments... Even when I gave up my family to slavers I was still beaten down by the world trying to crawl my way up to where I am now."

*Her eyes would be staring into Erin's with a bleak shade of brown hinting that her feelings around that time were pretty much gone.* "I am... Sorry that you take my actions as graceful kindness, but that is little from the truth. I had originally hoped to just have kept you as a worker and see you through hell by my own hands. But, honestly, now that I see how you are as a person I couldn't bring myself to hurl my wrath onto you... Because frankly, I don't see you as a cruel Husen..."

*Her hand would then massage a soft spot inside her ear rather greedily and her face expressed little enjoyment from it.* "But also as to the fact to why I'm so hard on myself? I don't know, maybe I think it's the only way to make something of myself and escape the past. Maybe in my own mind I never escaped the deserved punishment and I only want to bleed more for what I did... You never forget the looks on people's faces when you destroy their lives, Erin." *She muttered the last part rather concerningly and only then moved seats and brought Erin in closer as she continued to groom her ears.*
Katherine
*Slowly Erin's expression changed throughout Syele's rather questionable speech. She felt rather awkward when she went into detail about her abuse at the hands of her family... Which she understood and thanked her parents for just ignoring her... Even if the room was displeasing.*

*Then she begun to get confused. She sort of expected the labor she was going to be doing would be embarrassing or difficult, but it was unexpected she'd actually take pity on her. Syele probably didn't realize she was being kind in the same rant about how she isn't kind... Poor girl.*

*Then she visibly raised her brow for a second, before returning neutral. Why feel bad about punishing bad people? Erin didn't feel bad. Did most people worry about that kind of stuff? Probably... Syele was more knowledgeable about those things, she guessed.*

"... Well. That wasn't the table talk I was expecting... ***Sigh***... Can I finish the sheepy meat later? It doesn't matter if it's cold, I can just wash the rest of the stuff then come back to it!"

*Erin would get out of the chair as she spoke about washing the utensils and plates.*
James
*Syele would suddenly fall over as Erin went out of reach from her hands that were petting her ears. The oriate was motionlessly as telling about her own traumas and the stresses she faced even to that point was too much for her. It was just like when she almost burned alive, too much and too fast, she had blacked out on the spot with a bit of blood leaking from an old head wound that hadn't completely healed.*
Katherine
*Erin would stand there while staring down at her, the red of her eyes growing eerie as a few sparks flew off her. Quite the problem if she died, since she isn't quite sure if she could pass herself as "Next of kin" To inherit this home... And this is a good home, too. Although she's somewhat of a bad person, there is the potential there for Syele to be a good sister... Would be nice to have one of those. She would have to stop insisting on being scarier than she is, of course.*

*After staring down at her for a minute or two in pure silence, Erin nodded to herself and picked the poor girl up. Little Syele, she seemed much lighter than she should be... Probably because of her distaste for good food. Wonder what happened to her for that to be a thing... Maybe when she figured out how to enchant flesh, it could be fixed? Better to focus on making her into a good sister for now, who's nice and kind to her. Family is family, after all... And Syele still had a chance to be apart of her family!*

*Erin would then walk Syele outside and ask a patrolling guardsman about any healers in the area. The guard was rather skeptical of her in the first place, but why would she beat a girl to near death and take her to them? Once at the healer, Erin would purchase the three gold operation out of her own wallet. She hoped this was worth it, because she'd like to have a cute sister.*

*The healer did his thing, casting a few different spells for the wounds Erin described to him. He of course detected the internal ones, which of course costed her one extra gold... But she had enough, anyways. If Syele awoke she'd find herself back in bed, the sun having nearly set fully... Quite dark, if not for the fires being lit and a few extra candles/torches placed about having been also lit.*