Kindness to Strangers [Private/Aioai]

It had been early morning, snowflakes falling slowly onto the soft, white flesh of Mt. Hakobe. On the peak of the mountain rested a stone fortress, inside a boy and several other lurkers who never left the darkness of the never ending corridors. No noise left the fortress, no noise entered, no noise besides the tapping of shoes against a stone floor from a hallway and into the tavern of the building.

It was not unusual to hear the taps of the raven haired, orangish-golden eyed boy go from here to there every other hour, as he often became bored of the tedious readings he indulged himself in most days. Of course, there wasn't much to do besides that. Ahote was far too unmotivated to seek out a job from the settlers, much less explore the territory surrounding Mt. Hakobe, leaving him with only the books, the hoots of snow owls and an empty, rumbling stomach.

On the wooden counters in front of him lied three slices of whole wheat bread and a jar of cranberry jam. It wasn't the most filling snack, but Ahote had grown used to his grainy diet, as it mostly consisted of breads and other starches. Perhaps bacon and poultry when it was available, but it was more of a treat than anything. He had more access to exotic deserts than he did to a variety of meat. But it never bothered him. With so much time on his hands, he developed a knack for cooking and baking.

Ahote looked into the cabinet, seeing large bags of Jasmine Rice sit there among other canned goods. A disappointed frown cracked his lips, followed by furrowed brows. "I guess I could get some water boiling. . . but bread and rice sounds pretty bland. Guess I'll just have to stick with the bread. . ." Ahote grumbled to himself, shutting the wooden cabinet before pulling out a drawer, reaching inside and retrieving a metal butter knife. He began to unseal the lid of the jar, popping it off and prepared his snack. He didn't expect anyone to wander into the tavern, since no one ever seemed interested in things like the preparation of meals besides the servants and underlings. Quietly, he hummed to himself in his black, short sleeved shirt and beige shorts. Ah, another quiet, stagnant day it was becoming, it seemed.