BLIND | DreamSMP

XI - Tea and a Bath

Phil arranged wood in the belly of the stove, using a pair of metal fireplace tongs to adjust the logs until the flame he had previously lit using an open lantern and a thin and twisted slip of paper caught onto the wood, devouring the material hungrily. He blew a few targeted breaths towards the origin of the fire, stepping back in satisfaction when it roared up in response, wavering orange tongues lapping eagerly at the bark.

Tommy was sulking on the couch, picking at the loose threads of an orange blanket Phil had wrapped around him. Techno reclined lazily in an olive green armchair, laying horizontally so his legs hung off the seat and dangled freely above the ground, the side of his head held up by his closed fist. His boots thumped softly on the cloth seat as he swung them gently back and forth, gazing at Tommy's small form with an inscrutable expression.

Phil swung the stove door closed and opened a small cabinet nestled underneath the countertop, grabbing a dented kettle and a metal bucket, half-full of water. Since piping wasn't available in their isolated home, Phil and Techno boiled the snow to produce clean water, storing and rationing it until the bucket was empty and they were forced to melt more snow.

He poured a generous amount of water into the kettle, taking care to not spill-- the floor and countertop were wooden, and Phil didn't want to damage them-- before returning the bucket to the cabinet and placed the kettle atop the warm stove. While he waited for the water to boil, he reached upwards to a cupboard mounted high on the wall and plucked three mugs from inside, setting them neatly on the counter beside each other.

Techno kept a garden around the back of the house, a rectangular patch of ground surrounded by a picket fence hammered deep into the frozen earth. Four large planters were laid out evenly in the space, each containing dark soil speckled with white eggshells and various produce neatly arranged in lively green rows. Techno had grown among potatoes and strawberries stalks of fresh mint, and the resulting herb was what Phil retrieved now, plucking a few leaves from the slim stem and dropping them into the mugs.

The kettle had begun to boil, prompting Phil to remove it from the stove and pour the hot water into the mugs, distributing an equal amount of liquid between each. A small jar of honey kept beside the mint served to sweeten the tea, and with that, Phil carried two of the mugs over to the small living room area opposite the kitchenette.

Techno received his first, sitting up properly in his chair and accepting the tea with a slim but grateful smile. Tommy waited until his unsteady fingers were wrapped tightly around the handle of the mug before snatching it from Phil, the turquoise cup contrasting with the orange blanket as he huddled deeper into the blankets, moodily sipping at his tea.

Phil went back for his own mug before sitting down on an ochre recliner, tucking his large wings comfortably behind himself as he settled into the chair, exhaled loudly, and initiated the start of what was sure to be a difficult conversation.

"So, how did it happen?"

"How did what happen?" Tommy responded flatly.

"You becoming, er, blind."

Tommy shrugged indifferently, taking another sip of his tea.

"You said Dream made you drink a potion?"

"I guess."

"Christ Tommy, we're trying to help you." Phil said, annoyed by his disinterested response.

"I never asked for your help!"

"Do you not grasp your situation?" Techno interjected. "You're completely defenseless, easy pickings for anything or anyone. If you hadn't come into my house last night the Strays would've torn you apart."