He'll take as much feedstock as she'll bring him, today, but if she goes off to do her own thing, that's fine too.

Phaidra isn't sure how much is enough, but eventually she guesses there is enough for today and that she wants to write down some ideas that she had throughout the day. She goes inside and starts note-taking, figuring out how to flow the energy from here, to that then to do that other thing. Magic theory can take up a lot of your time.

The dog, which turned back up while she was working, follows her into her tent and flops companionably on the floor while she works.

Late in the afternoon, she looks up and barks briefly at something outside.

Good dog. Phaidra pats absently.

She looks out to see what it is barking at.

There's another person out there, a middle-aged woman with no modifications from the normal human baseline. She's hanging out nervously where the trail leaves the forest, and Phaidra's host has gotten up from his work and is walking over to her.

Oh, okay. Phaidra finishes the paragraph in her note and goes out. After a pause, she decides not to approach, but stay visible with her hands behind her back.

The woman is nervous of her, even at a distance, and her host quickly notices and glances over at her - does she want to come introduce herself?

Phaidra does, she will at least try to look small and nonthreatening? Or at least as much as she can.

She still doesn't like this very much, and gives their host a skeptical look as Phaidra approaches, but doesn't object further and does seem a little less wary after a moment.

She's come at his request to see what they need and tell him who to talk to; he wants to trade in general, and is interested in any crafting-material they can spare and childrens' books and tools, to get his new companion set up to travel with him; he has the usual traveler's variety of models and seeds, in exchange, and can do fleshcrafting for them if they have any use for that. He doesn't think he'll be staying long enough for it to make sense for them to make him a network connection, but if they have one spare he does have a machine for it, too. She says they do have a spare, and she expects his friend not to be very welcome - they've all heard she was setting fires, did he know she was setting fires? - but he can bring his things down to the main meeting-space tomorrow and people will come by.

He'd heard about the fires but he's pretty sure that's just because she couldn't craft and needed the warmth, she's been fine for him, but if they'd rather do it that way, that's fine, he'll be there.

He turns to ask Phaidra if there's anything else she'll want over the next couple weeks to months that she hasn't seen from him yet.

Phaidra shrugs. "Not really. And sorry about the fires, even if you don't understand the apology," she tells the old woman.

The woman startles, and the man hastily explains that she's been doing that and it seems to be harmless. She's still not happy, though, and takes her leave back into the woods.

He thinks that could have gone better, but whatever, some people just aren't very friendly. They'll be moving on before too long, she can make a better impression in the next place.

Aww, okay. Hopefully, she will escape her reputation as a pyromaniac.

Her host gets back to work; the base of her new house is coming together nicely.

He brings her dinner, and breakfast in the morning, and asks if there's anything she needs before he leaves to trade with the locals.

She smiles and is very thankful. Through miming, she tries to express that she needs more notation sheets.

Sure, he can do that before he goes - how many does she want?

Lots... at least enough to cover her table.

He might or might not have come inside and seen that she has started scribbling on the table.

He has not, in fact, gone into the tent at any point since finishing it, fairly scrupulously so in fact.

He can make her a whole bunch of tablets, no problem, and a box or something to put them in. Does the form factor work for her? He can make bigger or smaller ones no problem - it might make sense to make a section of the wall of her house out of tablet-material, later, does she want that?

The current size is fine for her needs, and she smiles agreeably at the idea of a wall tablet.

All right!

He drops two boxes of tablets off on her doorstep twenty minutes later and heads out, with two of his dogs harnessed to lead the chicken and cavy houses up the path behind him.

Phaidra bows and smiles and gets back on working. She thinks she is nearing a breakthrough.

She has most of the day to work on it; it's late afternoon by the time he gets back, and he immediately apologizes for forgetting to leave her lunch and goes to make some.

Phaidra waves her in and is very energetically happy and wants his attention with something before he goes make lunch.

...yes?

Phaidra slowly turns the tablet, so he can see what is written in it. There are many symbols, but very notable, right in the middle there are a few letters that glow faintly. The symbols are not recognizable, but... when together...

Translation

...Their meaning is obvious.

Oh, cool!

He wonders, vaguely, if that's what she's been working on all this time, but clarifies that of course it's none of his business. If there's anything he can do to make it easier for her that would be good to know, though.