From Rebel to Mentor ((Kikora and I))

Teyha glanced over her shoulder at Simon when he spoke, her lip twitching up at the corner. "It's not that you're old, you're thinking about it wrong." She told him calmly, and rose to check on the potatoes and flip the chicken. She smiled seeing the crispy brown exterior, and waited for the other side to match. The potatoes were soft too, the fork easily passing through them, so she lifted the pot, and brought it to the sink to drain. "It's that you're a teacher." She continued. "Mr. is a sign of respect, not necessarily of age. It acknowledges that you're wiser than I am, more experienced, capable of teaching. It also keeps the teacher-student relationship grounded firmly in place. On top of that.... You're my boss and my landlord."

She bounced the potatoes in the colander and poured them into a large bowl to mash. She turned the hot water on to soak the used pans and she opened the fridge and pulled out milk and butter to add to the steaming potatoes. "But if you insist, I suppose I can drop the formality." She continued absently as she worked, mashing the potatoes with just a bit of butter and milk until they were fresh and fluffy, with salted and peppered to taste. The chicken was about done as well, and she pulled it out, setting it on a plate to cool as she stared the dishes washing. "Give the chicken a minute to cool." She told him over her shoulder. "Five actually, or the juice will run out and it'll be dry. If you want anything else I can whip it up real quick too."
 
Simon nodded a bit and flashed her another of those dashing smiles as he spoke in what seemed like a witty in control tone, "Then yeah drop the Mr... I will be far more comfortable with just Simon and less tension will make it far easier to help you out Teyha. Oh and for the record that food smells amazing... I think you sold yourself short on the kitchen talent." He leaned back and enjoyed the smell of the food filling the main room of the flat. He suddenly thought to himself that somewhere down the road when she was more comfortable Teyha was going to make some guy, or in this day and age maybe some girl, a very happy person. That made him smile a bit thinking that she would be able to have a happy life down the line.

Simon was never sure he would ever have anything approaching a normal life given the trouble he had gotten into and the enemies he had made in the past. He had never lived a simple life now that he thought about it and was not sure he would know how to even if he had the chance. He had never known his father's family as they did not visit this little shop and his mothers family was at this point as far as he knew all deceased, and some of them had been less than sane in his opinion. He at least had a few friends and some degree of respect on the council even though some people there thought he was a loose cannon or a rebel... all in all he was fairly happy with his life though it was nothing even approaching normal.
 
After a few minutes of waiting Teyha filled Simon a plate of food, still steaming hot, and placed it in front of him, grabbing her own with a soft snort. "Don't be silly." She told him as she sat down, eating a bite of the mashed potatoes. "This isn't the kind of cooking that demands skill." She told him with a grin. "Patience and practice, sure. I was cooking for my family two or three times a week since I was ten or eleven, and the more my mom worked, the more I'd cook." She told him with a slight shrug, swirling the potatoes around her fork absently.

"Cleaning though." She said after a few bites. "I'd sooner sell a kidney then wash dishes every night. Boring and monotonous, I put it off until I can't anymore. Same with most household chores." She laughed softly, grinning for a briefly. Her soft grey eyes twinkled briefly, "My mom said I was just incredibly lazy, but I'm just easily bored. If that makes any sense to you at all, Simon."
 
Simon chuckled and took the food eagerly digging in for a few moments before he answered her, "Well I never managed anything quite like this so I must really suck in the kitchen... good thing I am pretty huh?" He flashed her a smile once he had finished that last round of food. He settled in to enjoy the meal and smiled as she spoke about not wanting to have to clean up and hating to do so. He was the same way and the difference is he had hired a cleaning service just so he would not have to but they only came on request these days since they seemed frustrated that their fancy vacuums seemed to blow up when he was around.

So he was smiling and laughing a bit as he answered, "Oh I am the same way... but I seem to make cleaning services nervous since if I am here when they clean... well you know fancy tech and wizards. They charged me for the last three vacuums that blew up here plus the extra time it took them to clean up after." He smirked and enjoyed the food she made and then went and got a Dr Pepper out of the old fashioned fridge smiling a bit as he enjoyed the benefit of being the guy other wizards came to for that sort of thing. He then got a second one and handed it to Teyha as he nodded to the kitchen appliances, "The secret to my comfort... Dad's old antique contacts still track down old appliances for me, wizards pay a fortune for appliances that do not blow up on them. Just to let you know you don't have to go anywhere even once you are on your feet... that little apt has been empty since i moved back into this place and you are welcome to keep it."
 
Despite trying to stay humble Teyha couldn't help but feel proud of her ability to impress the man before her with her skill in cooking. She smiled to herself, raising her eyes to meet Simon's. "Cooking isn't like magic." She told him lightly, "It doesn't take a particular skill, beyond the ability to taste and understand what flavors you're tasting. It's mostly practice, the instinct follows once you know what you're doing." Her smile broadened slightly, and she laughed behind her hand as he described his problem with maid services. "We'll have to get out of the house when they show up then." She told him reasonably. "I'd imagine two of us would make their jobs much more difficult."

She accepted the Dr Pepper with a smile, and leaned back to enjoy the chilled drink. She took a long sip while listening to Simon describe his father's old business. In her usual fashion she had almost half the can drained when he mentioned the apartment, and the possibility of her staying in it. Involuntarily she gasped, and a gush of icy soda flowed directly into her windpipe. She set the can down hard and coughed into the back of her hand, trying to clear her throat of the burning sensation. When she finally looked up, red faced from coughing and teary eyed from the burning cola she could only think to stare. 'As if I haven't embarrassed myself enough already... Talk damnit! Talk!' She screamed at herself in her head, prompting her to blurt out the first thing that came to her mind. "I know my cooking isn't that good!" She protested.
 
When Simon noticed that she began to choke and cough he acted without even thinking. Before he realized it he was across the short distance and had one arm around Teyha to steady her while the other gently patted her back trying to help her clear her throat. He had practically forgotten about her concern for closeness due to his concern and then once she was once again able to speak he realized how close he was and blushed a bit. He managed another smile for her as he slowly drew away not wanting to make his young apprentice feel uncomfortable. Within the span of a few moments he was back on the couch across from her and taking a sip from his Dr Pepper.

He was not sure why the the offer had shocked her so much. He honestly meant the offer as a kind gesture since he knew the room would just go unused if she left once the council determined she was safe to be on her own. He sipped his drink for a moment and then finally spoke once more, "The room would just lay empty and dusty if you left, and I could always use help with the shop... so it just made sense to offer you the room if you want to have it Teyha."
 
The sting of carbonated soda made Teyha clear her throat once or twice more, scooting down the couch away from Simon when he moved to offer his aid. She watched him warily, her eyes slightly narrowed on his face for a moment, as if looking for a hint of dark intention in his gaze. Try as she might she couldn't place even a trace of maliciousness in his eyes, and she dropped her own back to her empty plate.

She set her can on the table, and stared blankly for a few moments, unsure what to say. "I'm sorry, Simon. I suppose you do just want to help." She said with a shrug, fiddling with her hands in her lap. Slowly she looked up again, feeling shy and unsteady once again. " Let's... Let's just see how it goes for right now. I mean, I don't want to make you feel like I'm a burden or anything, or that I'm trying to live off you! Honestly, you know next to nothing about me. You could get in a lot of trouble being so trusting with someone, aren't you worried at all?"
 
Simon actually chuckled a bit at her question as he finished his soda then stood up and walked over to get a second drink. He turned with a rather charming smile to face Teyha as he spoke once more, "I have seen some of the worst the vanilla and wizarding worlds have to offer. So lets just say that there is a reason those on the council do not invite me to parties and act like I am a bit of a black sheep and leave it at that for now." He cracked the second can of Dr. Pepper then took a sip before walking back over to a rather plush recliner and plopping down in it.

He took another sip before he continued, "Plus you will not be a burden. As I said I can use the help in the shop both running the book and antique store or even managing orders for antique appliances that do not short out and go crazy around wizards, I have made quite the bundle with that little market among wizards. They seem to miss the modern niceties and are not worried about paying a bit for an older fridge, AC unit, Heater, or Boiler that will not short out as soon as they get stressed. Keeping track of orders, work orders, and contacting technicians or placing orders to my families fabricators for replacement parts of those antiques can end up being a lot of paper work after all."
 
In every way, it had been a very long and exhausting day for the young witch, who now swayed somewhat drowsily in her own chair, soda still in hand. Dealing with the council, without mention to the horror that led up to that confrontation, took a drain on the young woman's emotional state. It was no aggageration to say that the encounter could have ended far worst, with the group hardly being known for their mercy and understanding. The young woman had honest reason to fear for her life, had Simon not appeared to pull her away from the almost guaranteed fate of death that might have otherwise awaited her. Now in one day, the girl had found herself not only freed of a life she thought inescapable, but now in the care of a kind older man who seemed content with her many shortcomings. Not only content, her tired mind reminded her, but warm and accepting of it. Briefly the girl had considered he would have an alterior motive to his generosity, some darker threat that he intended for her... But try as she might to deter him from welcoming her, he seemed more than willing to compromise. Further, if there was some meaning behind it all, the girl simply could not see it.

Him being a man, and her frightened and often paranoid of that half of the population, her mind immediately wanted to point to the most obvious reason for his attention... But quickly she pushed that possibility firmly out of her mind. It bordered on narcassistic to think that any man in the world, however noble, would ultimately only be out for her physical charm... And far exceeded normal paranoia. Beyond that, she reminded herself sharply, if she wanted to be brutally honest with herself, her last abuser wasn't drawn in by looks... But rather ease of access. She was simply born to the wrong family.

Her mind somewhat settled, and body very well exhausted, the little witched pushed herself up to her feet. "I'm exhausted..." She whispered, but hesitated on moving to her room. Oh she knew well enough that she wouldn't be roused by a waking nightmare... But that hardly protected her from those that came in her sleep. Her near nightly attacks forced the girl into a routine of insomnia, likely what led her to such drastic action earlier that day, and whenever she did manage to call asleep, it seemed her mind was clouded by bitter thoughts and memories she never wanted to relive.

For a moment she drifted, swaying as though to start moving towards her room, but never moved her feet. In the end, she could only flop back into her chair, wordlessly burrying her face in her palms.

((Sorry, I know it's really bad quality. DX My comp is not letting me do any better))
 
Simon could tell the day had taken a lot out of her and he knew that he would need to let her rest before they could really begin any form of training much less have her work so she felt like she was contributing or start to adjust to having a home here. He saw her attempt to rise but it was clear the day had taken far more out of her than she had let on as she swayed and fell back to the chair. He moved as if to stand but then realized given her earlier reaction that might be a bit to forward and so instead shifted to be leaning forward from where he sat as he spoke softly in that charming and resonate voice, "Do you need some help Teyha? Or would you like me to bring a blanket or something and let you rest here for the evening?"

He wanted to help her adjust but it was clear from her reaction that there were scars from the time that lead to the event that landed her here. He could not force things or push to hard or it would only be that much more difficult to help her down the road. His only real option as he sat there thinking on it was to be patient and let the petite and rather cute young woman who had become his apprentice adjust and settle in then go from there. He was still wired from the politically driven throw down at the council chamber and would not be able to rest for some time but her day had begun far earlier and in far darker circumstances and that was a situation he could still remember vividly for reasons he still seldom talked about. He would have to tell her sooner or later he was sure but tonight would not be the time for that.
 
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