“Wasteful and cruel,” he said with scorn as he tripped a snare hidden in some tall grass then dismantled the trap with extreme prejudice.
It was the third of this sort of trap he’d destroyed today. Margot had actually found one of them, and he proudly showed her the best way to render it harmless as quickly as possible.
“There is not always time to be as thorough as we might like,” he said. “But we can at least slow their progress.”
They continued on, Braxxos sprinkling in little lessons about what was edible or not as they walked. Some things smelled good but weren’t used as food, she learned, but seeing as they weren’t dangerous to eat, Margot collected samples of several to take back with them. A few smelled an awful lot like elements of her spice collection back home and she was very curious how they might taste. But out here exposed and in the open was not the time for experiments.
“Watch your step,” he warned as they passed a particularly vine-filled section of trees. “Loolumpus vines are quite painful.”
“Loolumpus vines? You mean those spiky ones clustered between those trees over there?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of wandering off into those things.”
“It’s not about stepping into them. They are a natural trapping vine. A defensive mechanism that triggers them to whip up and inflict harm upon anything that so much as touches a tendril.”
“Hey, that sounds like a Cholla cactus back home.”
“You have a plant like the Loolumpus vines calledCholla?”
“Yeah. It’s not a vine, though. It’s a cactus. A pretty durable desert plant that is covered in spikes. Normally they’re just pretty plants you should know better than to go and touch. Hell, some even provide water, fruit, and can even be fermented. But Cholla are little bastards of the cactus world. Like your vines here, they react to touch and whip out and totally skewer whatever they hit with dozens of nasty spines. Oh, and they’re barbed, by the way. Don’t pull out clean. And when you try, they tend to break off.”
“This Cholla sounds like a formidable plant. I admire its survival adaptation.”
“That’s one way of looking at it. It hurts like a bitch, but at least it’s not toxic.”
“Nor is the Loolumpus vine. But with that said, therearesome very deadly plants here, and I will do my best to teach you how to avoid them.”
“Greatly appreciated,” she replied, that warm feeling tugging in her chest once again. “You know, you’re good at this. The whole nature instructor thing.”
“I’ve had a long time to hone my skills.”
“Yeah, about that. How come you live out here all alone?”
His countenance shifted, darkening slightly. “I would rather not talk about that. Not now, at least.”
She realized she’d overstepped at once. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up any bad feelings or anything. Just curious is all. Forget I asked, okay? How about you show me some more trap disarming?”
Braxxos let it go and did just that, quickly resuming his previously cheerful demeanor. And it was that pleasantness that remained in place as they chatted about pretty much anything but the circumstances that had led him to be on his own. That was the one topic Margot now knew to steer well clear of.
At the end of the day they returned to his treehouse to enjoy yet another nice evening of food, drink, and excellent conversation. Margot tucked away the little samples of aromatics she’d collected in what was now pretty much her corner of the place, though nothing had been declared in any official capacity.
Regardless, she had her space, and he had his, and even in this relatively close environment the two managed to find quite a comfortable rhythm. It was akin to taking a vacation with someone for the first time. The make-or-break situation that could solidify a relationship or send it spiraling over the edge with endless bickering and fights.
For these two it was the former, and they spent the next several days enjoying one another’s company. They walked the woods and fields, picked fruit and foraged for other edible items, and even caught some of this world’s version of fish for dinner one night. And all along the way their conversation grew even more fluid, the pair even evolving a sort of shorthand between them.
This was comfortable. This was easy. And most importantly, this was safe.
Something beyond comfort was brewing, however. Something Margot would have been shocked to feel not so long ago. But since she’d been on this world, not one but two alien men had treated her magnificently. And while she had enjoyed her brief time getting to know alien ways with Rylinn, the connection she now felt with Braxxos was just so muchmore. She couldn’t explain it even if she had to, but on a visceral level he just clicked.
It was that, along with a bit of culinary curiosity, that led to her finally getting him to agree to put his caregiving nature aside and let his guest prepare dinner for a change. It wasn’t a dominance thing. Far from it. Braxxos simply believed to his core that it was a man’s responsibility to care for a woman. For someone who lived utterly devoid of female companionship, it was a bit of a surprise.
“Let me know what you think. And be honest,” Margot said as she slid a series of small plates in front of her host.
“This…” His words trailed off as he took the first bite, his eyes going almost comically wide as he processed the flavors.
She’d not only been experimenting with her aromatics and native spices, but she’d also rigged up a cooking system that allowed her to alter the flavor profiles of even familiar items. She’d explained the Maillard reaction to him, but it just wasn’t the same as first-hand experience. And oh what an experience it was turning out to be.
