Abandoned. 

Alone.

Cold.

Old. 

The cottage sat nestled in over grown plants and shrubs. The last inhabitant died many, many years ago. The stone hearth long cold. The roof had holes where it leaked rain and snow inside. The glass clouded with dust, and all the scurried about were the rats that sought its meager shelter. 

The cottage wasn't large by any means. It had the front room, that served once as a sitting area, the furniture long rotted and molded, but once held bright company and wise smiles. It missed those sunny days. The kitchen and dinning were the next room from the front, and easily the largest room. It had a L shaped counter with a stone hearth and iron top, rust pitted now. The wooden counters warped and blackened. Shelving falling off its racks, dishes dusted over or broken from one animal or another knocking it over. The central island was in similar condition. There was space by the shattered glass doors leading to a moss covered patio and a jungle of a back yard. 

From the kitchen there was a hallway leading into a clothes wash room and storage space combo with a deep basin and shelving below and above a counter which shared a similar state to the kitchen. The bathing room was next to that room with broken tile. A small walk in pantry sat across the hall. 

The last two things at the end of the hall was a bedroom, large enough for a bed and a small table on either side. The bed was rotted and molded through, slumping down sadly. And a stair leading up to a loft room, it had been empty, the previous owner too old to make the stairs. 

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The cottage longed for a cozy life once again. 

It was raining again. It seemed like it rained more days then not, the stone building almost sagged. 

Defeated.

This was its existence now. 

More time past and the molded fabrics and cushions long since disintegrated, the floors covered in the old wooden debris as compost dirt, storm shutters fallen off hinges and even the rats have left. The cottage was without life, a shell. 

But, what was that feeling?

Some...thing stood on its stoop. It was cautious. It didn't need to be, the cottage had been abandoned. The building didn't get its hopes up, this, thing, would leave too. The thing poked around the front room. The cottage knew it was humanoid, but it didn't feel human. Curious, briefly then the cottage remembered it would leave, no matter what it was. 

The creature ran fingers along the walls, and looked around everywhere. Finally after what felt like hours, the longing was starting to surface. The cottage didn't want the creature to go. what ever it was. But it left. The cottage felt a little more of the roof droop under the rain, and sadness. 

But the thing came back! And it brought a human!

--- 

"This place is a mess," Sky said loudly as she dropped the crate with a heavy thud. 

"It'll be cozy once its fixed up," Sune remarked, "besides its not like I need a large space with you adventuring for long periods of time." 

Leaning over the crate Sky grinned and puffed her chest. "I like adventuring, besides wizards buy up experience orbs and pop them like their candy, and then use that experience to make a silly magic thing." 

"And you need to be wealthier?"

Narrowing her eyes lightly she hummed speaking in a normal tone, that seemed to be her version of a whisper. "Did you buy this place?" 

The male was quiet, "no," he did whisper. He breathed in the old earthy scent of the cottage and the surroundings.

"I am stealing it, and it is now mine."