“Well, dear. After I’ve had my afternoon bath, I always make something to eat for lunchtime. You’re welcome to join me. I could even make you something nice and filling to nibble on! You must be hungry from all that swimming around, my little toad.”
James smiled (though it went unseen on his expressionless, slimy and squishy face) upon hearing Elspeth call him her ‘little toad’, and he began to think about eating. He had gone out to eat with Nicola during their lunch break, but he had left his money at home and had completely missed breakfast after accidentally sleeping in and rushing about his flat to make it to the carpool on time. That, and Nicola only had enough money on her in order to buy a single packet of crisps, which they had shared. All in all, James had barely eaten a thing throughout the entire day, and the thought of lunch made his tiny stomach start to gurgle.
“Oh, yes please, Mistress. I’d love some food!”, James replied merrily.
“Up-bup. Mistress ELSPETH, James dear. I don’t want us to risk going informal on one another! Certainly not after what you did with my breast.”
James blushed and laughed nervously at Elspeth’s sly comment, and was promptly picked up by the witch and placed on her shoulder as she tied up her boots. Stepping out of the bathroom, Elspeth greeted Silas, who was laying on a nearby couch.
“Hello, Silas. Peckish?”
“Quite a bit, Elspeth,” Silas replied in a thick and deep Irish accent. “I’d do well to have a bit of the ol’ tuckin’ in if ya don’t mind me asking for some a ya time on it.”
Elspeth nodded casually, as James looked at Silas in shock. He had been told the cat could talk, but he far from expected that kind of a voice to come from such a small thing. Silas took notice of James’s staring, as well as offense.
“What? You actin’ the maggot? Bugger your froggy peepers offa me you right eejit and-!”, Silas growled. Elspeth intervened almost immediately.
“Silas, dear. That’s not how we treat friends..... or family!”, she said, adding that last part as if she knew Silas would say something flippant to the ‘friends’ comment of hers. Silas muttered something, and curled back up on the couch.
As the two entered the kitchen through a large doorway, Elspeth set James down on a dining table and rolled up her black sleeves, reaching in to a nearby cupboard.
“So, what do you fancy, dear? I can make whatever you want. Silas and I aren’t fussy eaters. Think of it as your ‘welcome to our home’ meal!”
James thought for a second. Whatever he wanted? He figured she meant that literally, but still. Surely there were limits to that, even if whatever magical tricks she had at her disposal no doubt made her kitchen a miniature grocery store at the ready, able to provide her with any food she wanted to conjure up. Not wanting to be too demanding but also in need for something he’d enjoy.....
“Some nice, hot beef stew would be lovely, please, Mistress Elspeth!”, James requested. Elspeth chuckled in response, moving her arms throughout the pantry as if searching for something.
“Beef stew he wants, beef stew he’ll get!”
With a wave of her hand, the faucet of the kitchen sink began to put forth water, which instead of falling straight into the basin travelled upwards as if unaffected by the laws of gravity (which was likely the case given the magical nature of everything in the home) and into an open cauldron situated atop a nearby, unlit fireplace. With a nod of her head, Elspeth caused the logs below the cauldron to light on fire, bringing the water to a fine boil within minutes.
This type of thing went on for the next half hour, as Elspeth made gestures with her body to cause things to float about and do her bidding while she prepared the rest of the lunch. She took out beef and bread from the cupboard, followed by some garlic and onions. She made knives cut up some chives and potatoes, and had shakers of salt and pepper pour their contents sparingly into the pot. She ran almost every ingredient by James to ensure he both liked them and wouldn’t have any allergic reactions (something that apparently would have transferred over from his human form into his toad body).
James, however, was fine with however Elspeth felt like making the stew, and had no allergies that he knew of. He was simply happy to be able to eat something of substance, and didn’t want to put Elspeth through any more trouble than she needed to. He asked her multiple times if he could be of assistance, only for her to thank him for the offer each time and then remind him that there wasn’t much he could do. Something James, in his current physical state, figured was true.
After the half an hour of cooking was up, Elspeth extinguished the logs with another nod of her head, and grabbed two bowls and a saucer from a drawer along with a ladle. She filled both of the bowls and the plate with the stew using the ladle, and set them out on the table.
“Silas! Come here, dear. Stew’s on.”
Silas entered silently, and sat upon the table across from where James was. Without a word, Silas began to lap up the stew with his tongue. James hopped over to his saucer (the perfect height for him to eat off of) just as Elspeth sat down after getting a spoon for herself, and the three all began to eat at the same time.
The stew was heavenly. It was sweet and tangy, tart and savory. It tickled James’s tastebuds and warmed him wholly. “It’s delicious, Mistress Elspeth! Thank you!”, he proclaimed. Elspeth smiled and said “no, thank YOU, dear”, while Silas rolled his eyes and continued eating quietly.
As they ate, James couldn’t help but ask Elspeth more questions. Something she didn’t seem to at all mind, but Silas clearly found annoying. However, the cat said nothing, no doubt focusing on his food instead of what the man-turned-toad was saying.
“Why did you have to pull out all your ingredients like that, Mistress Elspeth? Can’t witches and wizards summon food out of thin air?”
“Some can. I can, even. But I feel it all just tastes better and feels more rewarding when it’s made from scratch!”
“How long have you lived in this house?”
“Some eighty years, now. I built it with some friends who moved out, hence why it’s so large. Could never bring myself to leave this place. And I hope you feel the same way! Good company is always a good thing. Not that Silas here isn’t a treat to have around.”
“..... do you..... take baths..... regularly?”
“Every morning, noon, and night, dear. And yes, in answer to what your follow up question will no doubt be, you can watch of join me during them any time you like! My offer still stands on washing you by hand, for your information.”
James felt content. Happy. Pleased with his lot in life. A good home, good food, and a good woman had all within a day come to him. And all because of a wonderful mishap at a magic shop. There was another burning question he needed to ask, though.....