"I suppose I have," she said sounding a little surprised. "It seemed prudent to establish a place that I could defend if needed and here it was, waiting for me."

A flick of her wrist and the kettle began to heat as she moved to a small cabinet above the sink and brought down two cups. She had worked hard to make a proper French press and had been pleasantly surprised by her successful results.

Magic kept the cold things cold and the things she wished hot, hot. It was all based upon the laws of thermodynamics only magic fueled, which honestly was the same branch only few orders of degrees above it. No one had asked for a primer on magic, so she left go of the thought to find sugar, some cream for them - should it be wanted. Merlan took hers with both because she had a sweet tooth. Her guest might surprise her, though her first thought was black.

"Make yourself comfortable, anywhere you wish."

The chairs at the round kitchen table are cushioned, neatly handstitched in various golden hues made from several different kinds of fabric and are very soft. Little fanciful tassels hand here and there, serving to tie the cushions in place. Little touches like this adorn the small house and there is a wooden couch with a pale knotted afghan strewn over ts frame by a large fireplace. Before it is a low tea table with more cushions in emerald and saffron colours stacked two by two.