Emory enjoyed cooking.

Generally he only enjoyed cooking for himself, but to be fair, he hadn't cooked for someone else in... well, a long time.

That thought made his fingers pause where they skillfully chopped long green scallions.

Had it really been so many years since his last affair? He shook his head in remembrance of the large half-orc female who had entered his life in such a storm. They had been so different and argued constantly, but in the confines of his bedroom, they were compatible. Oh, yes, compatible was a mild word for it.

Focusing his eyes back on the scallions, he continued chopping until the green stalk turned to white, then tossed the double handful into the pot simmering on the stove. The broth was beginning to take on a pleasing savory scent, and he felt a tremor of excitement in anticipation of hearing the exclamations of praise from the clearly-starving Midge's lips.

The quiet click of the bedroom door opening had his entire body on alert. The examination could not be over so soon, surely. He had planned to bring three bowls of soup to the bedroom later for them to share.

Rushing to the door of the small kitchen, he nudged it open with his shoulder and peered out into the dark hallway. Sure enough, just a few yards away the blue crack of light that was his bedroom door widened.

"Finished so soon?" he asked of Rubius as the old wizard exited, brushing wrinkles out of his purple robe.

Rubius startled and looked up, eyes uncharacteristically wide and unfocused before he stammered out, "Oh, y-yes. Emory. Midge wanted to..."

"I'm going to the pool," she said in a strong, clear tone, emerging directly behind the human. 

Emory lifted his eyebrows at that request not even thinly veiled as a command. "Oh, I see. And your doctor has declared you fit to leave your bed?"

In truth, she was moving with a vigor that surprised him. It also surprised him to see her long, angular body so exposed in his silk pajamas. Why could she not don her own dress again?

"Yes, she's quite vigorous. Prime of health," Rubius assured from behind his beard in a mumble that did little to assuage Emory's doubts. "She thinks walking outside might refresh her memory, you see. I'm inclined to believe her. We have already established she is a being of the Faewild. Nature could revive her in ways I cannot."

Emory narrowed his gaze and flicked his eyes between Rubius and Midge, while his mind scrambled to work out what was happening. Why were they so chummy, all of a sudden? Why did he get the feeling Rubius was more on Midge's side than his, and they weren't even in an argument? If the fellow weren't absolutely ancient he'd have thought they had some sort of romantic affair, but as it was, he had to consider worse possibilities.

"You told me you were hungry," Emory said, peering back over his shoulder into the kitchen at the simmering pot. Still smelled delicious, but it wasn't finished.

"Later," Midge said, glancing at him before lifting her chin once more and gazing into the dark tunnel left and right. She had to hunch her shoulders to avoid grazing the top of her head against the ceiling, which Emory, for some odd reason, found charming. "Which way is out?"

Emory could tell she was not to be thwarted without him exerting some sort of serious effort, but he didn't see why she should not be allowed to roam free. In fact, the sooner she was gone, the better.

"Rubius, you won't make it all the way to the sand dunes. I'll escort her. You stay in the kitchen and stir the soup." Emory stepped out and held one hand towards Midge, gesturing with his other hand in the direction of his Second Office. "This is the way out."

Ignoring his hand, she strode past him and into the darkness, not seeming slowed at all by the lack of light. Emory jabbed his fingers at his eyes, then at Rubius, then at the kitchen door, then sped after Midge, nearly stumbling into her back when she stopped before the two blue torches at the end of the hall.

He forced himself to take three deep breaths and regain his composure. Pushing past her, he opened the door and led the way into his office. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the darkened glasses he'd swiped from Rubius' pocket and perched them on his own nose, raising his hood before leading the way to the desk.

"Over here," Emory said, impatient when she didn't immediately follow. "You seem to be feeling better, I presume you can walk on your own."

That stiffened her spine, and she pinched her lips as if to suppress a comment before it blurted out anyway. "I don't appreciate your tone. You speak as if you dislike me."

"Don't take it personally, I dislike company. Anyway, actions speak louder than words, don't they?" Emory scowled, crossing his arms. "Speaking of which, are you coming or not?"

She looked as if she were really considering his words for a solid five seconds before finally lifting her long bare feet and setting them down next to Emory, eating up the floor in one stride. He felt a little breathless at her sudden presence and nervously activated the raven statuette on the desk, feeling the entire elevator lurching upwards. He was glad Midge did not fall over in the ascent, for he did not trust himself to steady her, and that was mad, insane, for she was a wastrel, probably a spy, or some sort of... well, he had no idea.

When they reached his office, he kept his silence and continued leading the way towards the outdoor exit, berating his mind into focusing on keeping an eye upon his guest and his surroundings.

Emory allowed them to get all the way to the stairs, then ascend to the hatch itself before he paused and turned to face Midge. "Before we come out onto the surface of my precious island, I want you to know my ground rules. Everyone who stays at the village is subject to them."

She simply watched him with wary curiosity.

"You may stay in the village as long as you like, if Rita approves of you, and if you help out around the place, and don't hurt anybody. Harvesting the local flora and fauna is permitted as long as they're plentiful, but please don't drive anything to extinction. If there are any major disputes, I'm generally called to handle them, just ask Rita; she's capable of sending messages to anyone on the island. If you happen to 'remember' anything further, or need quick transportation, Rubius is of course the one to consult. The rest, you will meet in your own time I'm sure."

Finishing his diatribe, he watched her to ensure she was taking it all in. Her eyes remained fixed upon the hatch, but she gave him a quick nod. "Yes, fine. Agreed."

"And I hope we are both agreed that our goal ought to be finding out where you are from and how you got here, and assisting you in getting right back home."

Midge just shrugged one shoulder up. "Is that one of your island rules, Emory?"

"Well... no. You intend to stay?"

"I hardly know," she replied. "I have not seen the damned place."

Still, the fact that she was considering it made him gulp nervously. Perhaps he was hesitant to open this door because with each open space, she expanded further, her presence growing in some unaccountable way that was not represented in her angular physicality.

Still, he did not want her locked up here forever. So, he opened the hatch to let in the late afternoon air, and held his breath. Midge emerged, one spidery limb after another, her lank grey hair taking on a silvery sheen, and her high cheekbones raising even further to protect her eyes from the sun.

"Oh. This is where you live?" Midge breathed, and Emory would have been insulted if he weren't amused. He was accustomed to the reaction.

"A man can only have so much darkness before he wishes for some color," Emory said, admitting it to this fae for some reason. "This way it's available all the time."

Midge fell silent, seeming carried away by the riotous blooms tumbling over soft green fields, the salt-scented breeze, the sun-warmed stone; and in stark contrast, the dark statue of the Raven Queen silhouetted against the late afternoon sky. There were even tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes. Emory knew it was pretty, but geez, it wasn't that magical. New folks had never... cried, before.

"Are you well?" he asked.

"Fine," she said, her voice gruff, and pushed the rest of the way out, shaking out of her stupor.

Emory closed and locked the hatch after her, then scrambled to follow as she started off in the direction of the sand dunes, as if she somehow knew where to go. Impressive sense of direction, she must have.

"Emory, it's Rita. Where are you? How is everything? How is Midge?"

Emory heard Rita's soft, disembodied voice in his mind, so accustomed to her intrusion at this point that he was not even startled. "We're on our way to the pool where Midge came through," he replied to Rita without speaking out loud. "Come meet me."

Perhaps he could get rid of Midge once Rita arrived. He managed to catch up to Midge by widening his strides through the long grasses, though if she had been exerting any effort into fleeing from him, she could have outpaced him effortlessly.

"Is it bringing back any memories?" he asked, peering up at her when he reached her side. Her jaw clenched and she glanced down at him, seeming puzzled.

"Yes, actually. There's something...Something I can't quite bring to the forefront of my mind, I seem to be struggling to recall exactly..."

This time, the confusion in her eyes was genuine, and Emory felt himself soften to her. Just a little. "Well, give it time. Perhaps you're right, and seeing the pool will bring everything back."

"I hope so," she said.

Emory was going to reply, though what exactly to say he did not know, but before he could speak, they both heard the sound of hooves stirring the grasses, and glanced up to see Rita's waving wheat-colored hair approaching, barely visible above the bobbing wildflowers.

"Wait for me!" she called out, her sweet voice pitched high enough to carry.

They paused, Midge glancing back and her eyes widening, while an involuntary smile curved her lips. "A faun? Here?"

"Fauns are everywhere," Emory said, and Rita arrived with a click of her hooves. "Rita, this is Midge. Midge is from the Faewild, which is why she perhaps felt familiar to you," he explained.

Rita's smile stretched to the point of breaking and she gave an excited caper. "Really? It's been so long since I've met anyone from home."

"I'm sure you'll have lots of tales to tell and stories to exchange and all that," Emory said, glancing up at Midge again.

That smile, it made her eyes dance, and suddenly the grey did not look quite so flat and joyless. In the sunshine, with the vibrance of the island all around, her skin was no longer papery in texture but looked healthy and supple. Her shoulders squared and her spine straight, she no longer had that crumpled, sad appearance. She looked so alive.

He liked it.

A bolt of terror struck Emory like lightning.

No, no, no.

None of that.

"Rita, take over. Midge, nice to meet you. Enjoy the village, enjoy the island... I... er... I must go."

"Emory? Are you--"

Rita did not get a chance to finish the sentence, for Emory reached to his throat, seized the long chain that dangled beneath his layers of clothing, and gripped the pendant at the end.

"I call upon the Raven Queen," he murmured.

The verdance of the island faded. Pale moon-silver smoke surrounded him and he vanished, not daring to reappear until he was back in the safety of Gloomshadow mansion.